A New Life Part 2
by Shy Snootles
Summary: Continuation of Salvation. Luke brings his newly resuscitated and healed father back to his sister and his friends. But, how will they and the Alliance react to former Darth Vader suddenly becoming one of the good guys?
1. Default Chapter

A New Life (Part 2)  
  
  
  
Han and Leia walked past 3PO in the central hold area, who was sitting at the table, fastening his seatbelt. R2 was whistling softly, trying to convince his golden friend to engage in a short 3 dimensional game.  
  
When they entered the Falcon's cockpit, they found Chewie sitting in the co- pilot's seat, readjusting it for his size. Lando, Luke and Anakin were standing behind him.  
  
"I did my best not to get her scratched, old buddy," Lando explained, apologetically. "But that wasn't always possible."  
  
"Ah, don't worry," Han patted his back warmly. "That'll give me the opportunity to think of some more special modifications that will improve her and make her shine better than ever."  
  
Leia looked down and shook her head with a patronizing smile. Why did men always give their ships a female personality? It started in their teenage years with their speeders and it went on for the rest of their lives.  
  
Lando offered the pilot's seat to Han with a polite gesture and Han sat at the controls with a flourish. He quickly hit some buttons and the engines began roaring. The floor started vibrating under their feet.  
  
Leia brushed Anakin's arm with her shoulder when she walked up past him to the seat directly behind Han's. She immediately stiffened and tried to quench the feelings the touch had evoked in her. Flashes of images passed before her eyes too quickly for her to grasp them. But one thing did remain. The tenderness. That was the feeling uppermost in the huge man's mind. The kindness and gentleness about him were overwhelming, and something inside her instinctively reached out to hold on to it and cradle it to her. She crushed the feeling mercilessly. No. NO! She couldn't! She COULDN'T! She couldn't care! He wouldn't escape his crimes that easily! He ...!  
  
Anakin stepped back courteously, giving her more space.  
  
"Excuse me," he sincerely apologized.  
  
"It's all right," Leia replied without thinking. She clenched her teeth, angry at herself, and flopped down on the bloody seat. She put her hand on Han's shoulder and squeezed it, needing to calm down. Han patted her hand comfortingly and kissed it, strangely attuned to her agitated feelings.  
  
Luke sat down behind Chewie's seat with a sigh, giving up to Anakin's whispered requests. The big man quietly stood behind his son, knowing only too well that Leia wouldn't welcome his nearness. Lando placed himself behind the Princess' seat and grabbed the back of it, getting ready for takeoff.  
  
A few minutes later, the Falcon was leaving Endor's atmosphere. After contacting the fleet, Han announced they would rendezvous with Mon Mothma's frigate in 35 minutes.  
  
From there on, the trip was made in absolute silence. Chewie would growl something here and there and Han would answer mostly in monosyllables. Leia withdrew into herself again and Luke was trying to prepare himself mentally for the upcoming confrontation with the Alliance's leader. He was fidgeting with foreboding. He felt he was too exhausted to make a logical presentation of the situation. If only Mon Mothma could see right through their hearts! And Leia as well, for that matter. He was extremely worried about his sister. She seemed to have bottled up her feelings, as she did whenever she was deeply hurt. Luke knew from his own experience that wasn't the way. She had to face them and accept them. Only then she would have peace. He began to search for a harmless subject to bring up, but his mind was a jumble. He couldn't think of anything even remotely intelligent to say.  
  
Finally, it was Lando who broke the uneasy silence. Luke was sorely tempted to get up and hug him.  
  
"So, what happened to your mask and your helmet?" he asked Anakin out of the blue.  
  
Anakin was wondering when someone would pluck up the courage to ask the question that had to be plaguing them all. He let out a tiny smile.  
  
Realizing he had phrased his question somewhat brusquely, Lando hurried to elaborate.  
  
"I mean, did you use them to hide your identity and scare the wits out of everybody in the process or did you ...?"  
  
"Oh, no, General Calrissian!" Anakin kindly explained. His voice sounded soothingly cheerful and with a hint of amusement. "I did need them. I sustained an incurable respiratory injury that didn't allow me to breathe normally. I would have lasted only a few minutes outside the mask. I used it for over twenty years."  
  
"Then, how come you can breathe normally now?" Lando blinked, perplexed.  
  
It was a delicate question and Anakin instinctively looked down at his son, asking him with his eyes how much did he want him to explain. It was complicated, because it could greatly disturb his friends to know Luke could resuscitate people! Some things had to be explained with a lot of tact and under the right circumstances. And this particular moment, with so many people's nerves on edge, decidedly wasn't the right circumstance.  
  
Luke looked up at his father and smiled at him affectionately with a shrug, telling him he didn't care how much he said.  
  
Anakin smiled back at his child and placed his hands on Luke's shoulders. He decided to compromise. He would protect this incredible young man with his every bit of strength!  
  
"Luke healed me," he said simply, his soft accent oozing pride and love.  
  
"WHAT?!" was the collective exclamation. Chewie's roar was just as eloquent.  
  
"Just wait a minute! How did he do that?" Han was twisting his neck at an almost impossible angle, trying to look at Luke from his seat. When his eyes met Luke's teasing, twinkling ones, he gulped. "Uhhh, on second thoughts, don't tell us." He quickly looked back ahead.  
  
Unable to help themselves, Luke and Anakin began chuckling softly. Anakin gently tousled Luke's hair. It had become his favourite caress, one that Luke didn't seem to mind. He seemed to be as hungry for them as Anakin was to give them.  
  
"And what did you do for him in return?" came Leia's unexpectedly brutal question, that cast a chill over everybody's spirits.  
  
Anakin's chuckle died on his lips and a flush of deep shame took its place. He knew very well what Leia meant. She was referring to the 20 odd years he had been the bloodiest murderer in the galaxy, to the millions of lives he had taken, to the countless crimes he had committed in the name of the Empire. And also, she was namely referring to all the years of longing a little boy had suffered, separated from his family and being raised on a desertic planet, far away from all those who could have loved him as he deserved and completely ignorant of where he came from, being hidden from his own father, the galactic butcher, for his own safety. She was referring to the animal hunt he had subjected them all, to the obscene amputation of Luke's hand, to the following weeks of near madness Luke had endured until he had finally accepted the truth. That was what Leia was really asking him about. What had he ever done for those who had loved him.  
  
Anakin paled and shivered as if his very soul had been ripped from him. His powerful form almost collapsed under the weight of Leia's rightful accusation. He closed his eyes, trying to hide the rush of tears that had been squeezed out from deep within his chest. His throat constricted with a burning heat. He tried his best to hold back the imminent breakdown, shutting off his link with Luke, so his boy wasn't subjected to this searing pain. He looked away, so that no one could see his face. It wouldn't be fair to them to see his tears fighting to come out. He deserved Leia's rebukes and hatred. He deserved everything they wanted to spew at him and more. His hands began to slip from Luke's shoulders. He didn't want to soil his son with his touch.  
  
Luke gave a start in sudden fear when he felt his link with his father abruptly muting. Although he didn't need it to know what Leia's words had just done. He couldn't blame his sister for her anger and resentment, but hurting Anakin for it was useless now. Nothing she ever said or did, would change the past and it would only cause more suffering. He could only hope Leia would come to understand this one day, or those ugly feelings would destroy her. Luke vowed to himself he would help her in every possible way.  
  
When he felt his father's hands slowly sliding from his shoulders, Luke quickly reached out and grabbed one of them. He touched his mind with a soft shove, softly knocking. Since the Death Star, their minds had been completely opened to each other, and they had shared a constant gentle outpouring of feelings and thoughts. To Luke, that contact had immediately become a soothing background murmur, like lukewarm raindrops falling onto his soul, and its sudden disappearance made him feel as if he had gone blind or deaf all at once. The brutal silence within his mind was terrifying. He knocked again, insistently.  
  
Anakin stubbornly refused to give in for a moment; but then, realizing he was wounding his son by denying him his touch, he reluctantly opened his mind to him again. He couldn't stand this! What made one of his children happy, hurt the other. They had to put an end to this conflict or he feared ... He dejectedly thought it would have been better for all of them if he had died in the Death Star. That would have solved everything.  
  
'NO!!' Luke cried out into his mind. 'Don't give up so soon, Father! Leia will come around in time. Trust me! If you had died, a big part of me would have died too. I don't know if I would have ever found the strength to go on.' He quickly cast away those terrible thoughts. 'I feel that Han, Lando and Chewie are beginning to see it. Leia needs more time, that's all. She's had to remain strong for all of us when things turned out desperate. She has assumed too much responsibility and endured too much pressure since she was far too young. And she couldn't afford the slightest doubt or it would have made her look weak in everybody's eyes. And that could have been fatal for the Rebellion. She can't give up that unrelenting firmness, because that strength is what has sustained us all. She's entitled her anger and resentment at what Destiny has thrown her way. But she will realize anger is not the way and she will embrace forgiveness.' Luke gazed up into his father's gentle eyes. 'That's what I did, and look at us now!' He smiled tenderly.  
  
Anakin shook his head in awe. This child was wiser than many Jedi Masters he had greatly admired in his youth. Once again, he felt as if he was Luke's padawan. He shook his head and looked up at the ceiling, overwhelmed. But then, he felt Leia's eyes on him like daggers. He shuddered.  
  
'Her anger is so deep ... I fear for her.'  
  
'It's no bigger than mine was. And that encourages me. That means her love will eclipse everything else when she finally lets it out.'  
  
Luke's passionate faith left Anakin speechless. His son's certainty felt as solid and constant as a rock, and Anakin desperately held on to it, wanting to believe. If his presence created a rift amongst all these good people, he would never forgive himself. He quietly made the decision to disappear from their lives before that happened.  
  
'How can you be so certain?,' he asked, in wonder.  
  
'Because I know her heart ... and yours,' Luke replied, softly.  
  
Anakin swallowed the lump in his throat. Shakily, he reached out and placed his free hand on Luke's shoulder again. Once again, he thanked the Force for having his touch welcomed. There were no words to express his soul-deep gratitude for this privilege. He had no idea how he had managed without it for so many years. But it didn't matter anymore. All he knew was that he couldn't live without it now. Just as he couldn't live without the anchor of Luke's faith. If only he had had it at his age! If only ...  
  
Luke's head had turned from his father's caring eyes to his sister's blazing ones. The unbearable tension was back, permeating everything again. He smiled peacefully at her, completely understanding her resentment and knowing only too well it came from a love that ran even deeper and more strongly than any hatred she could ever feel. She was merely one step behind them. And they had to help her to give that step as soon as possible.  
  
"He saved my life," he simply said. That was the only truth he needed. The truth he cherished and cradled deep into his heart as a parent would a baby.  
  
This time, the acknowledgement to his statement was a collective gasp and Leia's deep intake of breath. No one was able to utter a word for a long moment. Until Lando's stutter broke the silence.  
  
"He ... he did?"  
  
Luke looked up at Lando and nodded with a solemn expression on his serene face.  
  
"Yes. When Palpatine realized I wouldn't kill my father to take his place beside him, he decided I was expendable, just as my father had been until that moment in his attempts to turn me. He began killing me," he swallowed hard. "I thought I was going to die." Luke shivered at the terrible memory and his muscles spasmed involuntarily. He had wanted to die when he had seen his father standing beside the Emperor, doing nothing but staring. But he knew better now. The real battle wasn't taking place in the throne room at that moment, but deep inside his father's heart. And Anakin Skywalker had won that battle. And Luke would love him forever for that. The protective, caring daddy the young man had always craved for, had finally come to the rescue! "But then, he grabbed the Emperor and threw him down the reactor shaft." Luke softly squeezed his father's hand, needing the physical reassurance, and Anakin returned the pressure, both on his son's fingers and on his shoulder, moved beyond reason by the sentiment Luke's words had conveyed. He had relived it all in those few instants too, and he needed the physical reassurance of his child's precious life as much as Luke did.  
  
The simple tale knocked everybody out. The silence stretched for a very long time and nobody dared to say a word. They were slowly digesting this vital piece of information that made all the difference.  
  
"I ... I thank you for saving my brother's life," Leia's weak voice suddenly spoke. "We are in your debt. I don't know what would I do if I lost him." She had been completely blown away by the information and she seemed about to break down.  
  
Luke immediately reached out his had to her, having a pretty good idea of what his story, and her own answering words, had cost her. Leia grabbed it and clung to it desperately, needing the reality of Luke's touch to convince herself of what all of them could see: that Luke was really there, alive, safe and sound. Her eyes were brimming with tears.  
  
"Don't thank me, Lei-- your highness," Anakin replied, his deep voice full of shame and self-contempt. "That's what I should have been doing all these years, protecting my children's lives." He pronounced the word 'children' so softly he raised goosebumps. "I would give my life a billion times to change what I have done. But I can't. I can only try to atone for my crimes by saving other lives. And that's what I intend to do for the rest of my life, if I have the chance."  
  
Another long silence followed. They knew now what was Anakin's hope ... and Luke's. To get the Alliance's pardon and try to make up for his atrocities. A huge and virtually impossible task, but they all could read the sincerity and deep commitment in the big man's gentle voice.  
  
Chewie's soft bark of gratitude broke the silence. And he also added a few words that only Han and Anakin fully understood. Luke briefly let go of his father's hand and stroked the Wookie's back affectionately. He still couldn't understand him very well, but he had a very good idea of what he had said.  
  
"Thank you ... Chewie." Anakin's voice was trembling with barely restrained emotion. He risked using the Wookie's nickname and his heart felt lighter when the huge Wookie didn't complain at all, but nodded, clearly giving him permission to keep on addressing him like that.  
  
"I ..." Han's hoarse voice followed the new short silence. "I also want to thank you. I love Luke like a brother and I ... I just can't bear the thought of losing him. I don't know what I ..."  
  
"I understand," Anakin kindly interrupted him. He was aware of the fact that Solo didn't feel very comfortable expressing his emotions in public, although he was a man of deep feelings. He loved his friends fiercely, he was loyal, caring, understanding and with an understated compassion. And Anakin didn't want him to bare his feelings on his account. It was unnecessary and he didn't deserve it. But he thanked him in his heart for making the effort. Anakin looked down and shook his head, overwhelmed by shame. He didn't deserve so much understanding! And he was getting it from the very people he had hunted down and tortured ...  
  
'Father ...' Luke admonished him in his mind, as if he was a child.  
  
Anakin smiled sadly and patted Luke's shoulder, in acquiescence.  
  
"I want to thank you too," Lando unexpectedly joined in. "I've only known Luke for a few months, but I've come to care a lot about him. He's a bright, brave, caring kid. And I'm glad you finally came to your senses and realized on which side truth lay." He made a short pause, as if deciding whether he should go ahead and say it all. He made a decision. "It's never too late."  
  
Both Anakin and Luke stared at Lando, deeply impressed by his words. The dark-skinned man seemed to flush under their gazes.  
  
"I mean, look at me." He tried to divert their attention back to his words. "I wasn't interested in joining the Rebellion. My business was prospering and I was busy minding my own affairs. I didn't like the Empire, but as long as they stayed out of my business, I didn't care about anything else. But that neutrality was immoral. You made me see that when you took over with your troops." He looked briefly at Anakin and then looked away, as the truth dawned on him. "You have to decide which side you're on, or one day, you'll be the next whose door they'll knock down," he said, almost to himself.  
  
A deathly silence followed his statement.  
  
"But the Alliance didn't mind my disgusting neutrality. They accepted me and all the ideas I could contribute," Lando went on, never noticing the silent commotion he had created around him. "This is a system I'm proud to be a part of, despite the fact that I almost joined it too late. But at least, I could be there and give a hand in the final battle. I felt I was doing something worth dying for. And I suppose that's what you realized too when you killed Palpatine to save Luke." He lost himself in his thoughts again, completely oblivious to the people who were staring at him with their mouths hanging open. He took a deep breath a rushed ahead with his words. He looked into Anakin's eyes, full of conviction. "I'll tell you something, for what it's worth. If the Alliance asks for my opinion, I will completely support your pardon. You have changed, man. I know you have." He couldn't help an amused little smile as he pointed at Anakin's hand. "You wouldn't be standing here, messing about with Luke's hair in front of us if you hadn't."  
  
Anakin gave a start and looked down at his fingers, that were absently combing through Luke's hair, totally unaware of them. It had become second nature to him to touch his son, as if he was unconsciously trying to make up to him, and to himself, for all the lost years. He left his son's hair alone and placed his hand on Luke's shoulder. On second thoughts, he left his arm dangling at his side, to grab the back of Luke's chair next. Blast it, he suddenly didn't seem to know what to do with it!  
  
Lando softly chuckled.  
  
"Darth Vader would have never done that," he stressed. "That monster would have never allowed himself the tiniest gesture of affection or vulnerability, if he had ever felt them in the first place. You're not Darth Vader anymore." He sounded adamant in his conviction. "As simple as that."  
  
Anakin was speechless. He didn't know what to say to those words. He swallowed hard, as he desperately tried to respond to the sudden vote of confidence Lando had bestowed on him.  
  
"Calrissian, I ... I ..." he began.  
  
"And I don't think we can label people as 'good' or 'bad' for life. Life's a constant change, with infinite shades of gray. People change, that's the deal. It's our nature to change. If we deny people that right, or refuse to acknowledge it, we're condemning them forever. I won't do that." He crossed his arms, as if reinforcing his words with the gesture. His tirade was over.  
  
Nobody dared to breathe. They couldn't think of anything to say or do after such a speech.  
  
Only Anakin plucked up his courage to say something. The most inappropriate words, he knew, but there were no others.  
  
"Thank you. Thank you very much."  
  
"Don't thank me," Lando shrugged. "Thank yourself for what you've accomplished. Nobody across the galaxy would have given a credit for you. You were only an evil to be wiped out. Only Luke risked to see beyond that, and he's taught us all a lesson. I only hope we can convince the Alliance now."  
  
"I hope so, too," Anakin's voice was very soft. "But even if it doesn't turn out the way we expect, I'm not afraid to die. I only hope I'll be given enough time to leave everything settled behind me."  
  
Before Luke could say anything, Han anticipated him.  
  
"Oh, c'mon. Let's not get melodramatic, shall we? There's no death penalty in the Alliance. You'd be convicted for life at worst and that won't happen. We'll all testify in your favour. Mon Mothma will see you're not a threat anymore. She's a very practical woman and she'll realize what an asset it will be to have you beside her. As a matter of fact, I have the feeling that with you two working side by side, peace will be a reality much sooner. It'll project the image that true understanding between both parties is possible. It'll save a lot of time and efforts."  
  
Luke stared at his father pointedly. That was exactly what he had been trying to make his father understand all along. Maybe the fact that other people were of the same opinion would finally convince him!  
  
Anakin looked down, accepting the silent reprimand. A soft pat on his hand lifted his spirits again. He met Luke's affectionate eyes and he sighed. That gentle young man certainly knew how to restore his confidence.  
  
On his part, Han had lost himself in the labyrinth of his thoughts. All of a sudden, everything seemed so clear! This was the right thing to do, he could feel it. Before, he had been a bit worried and uncertain about the whole thing. It didn't seem fair to all the millions of people Vader had killed and to the millions who had died later as a consequence of the war. He almost felt guilty for wanting to support Anakin's pardon. But that was exactly the point. Anakin wasn't Vader anymore. And it would be useless to crucify the man to seek revenge for something that couldn't be changed. Maybe it could satiate people's vengeful instincts to make Anakin rot in a brig for the rest of his life, but in the end, it wouldn't bring back the dead.  
  
That aside, Luke loved the man with all his heart and if there was something Han Solo had learnt after all the years they had known each other, was that Luke Skywalker didn't love anyone who wasn't worthy. That fact in itself was enough for Han. To lock up his father for life would shatter the kid. Luke had suffered enough to take away from him now that which had brought a light and a happiness to his life as Han had never seen before.  
  
And talking from a strictly political point of view, it was infinitely more practical to have Anakin working to rebuild what he had destroyed. That was called poetic justice!  
  
Now, knowing that not just him, but Lando, Chewie and even the two droids shared his way of thinking, Han had seen his convictions reinforced. No, they couldn't be wrong about this. Even Leia was beginning to soften up a little. She had had the guts to thank Anakin for saving Luke's life, and Han knew very well how much that must have cost her. The Corellian sighed softly. He was extremely worried. Her unforgiving attitude had been frightening. But Han could understand her. It was easier to forgive a stranger, as Chewie, Lando and himself had done, than a relative, let alone your own father. And it was easier because a stranger, someone who doesn't know you and doesn't care about you, is more likely to hurt you than the person who sired you. How could a parent possibly hurt their children? The notion that such a thing could happen was too unthinkable. But when it happened, it unleashed some atavistic forces that were at work here right now. The wound was too deep to be closed that easily. Vader's atrocities were too horrendous for Leia to want to have anything to do with Anakin, and the fact that he was her father only made her shrink away from him even more. Maybe it was too late.  
  
Han shook his head in denial. No, it couldn't be too late. Luke had forgiven and Leia would also forgive ... eventually. He knew her heart. He knew her too well to know only love made her act so. She couldn't afford to trust because the disappointment would hurt too much, maybe more than she would be able to bear. She was trying to remain cool-headed in case everything fell apart, so she could be ready to help and fight, if necessary. Always the leader, always the strong-willed one, always on guard. Damn war! She was little more than a child and she had been forced to harden her feelings, not to allow herself the tiniest crack on her defences, not even for someone who clearly didn't represent threat to her anymore and was truly desperate for a second chance; her own father! Han felt like hitting something.  
  
Hopefully, the war would be over very soon. They had just inflicted the deathblow to the Empire and if Anakin helped them, maybe the remaining Imperial forces could be persuaded to surrender and put a quicker end to this nightmare that was lasting far too long and destroying much more than 'just' lives.  
  
A beep from the console brought him back to the present. His eyes opened wide. Mon Mothma's huge frigate filled their sight. He acknowledged the incoming communication and he began maneuvering the ship, smoothly heading it toward the open docking bay. Five minutes later, the Millenium Falcon landed inside the big freighter.  
  
After turning off the engines, they stood up in silence and they left the cockpit in a single file. The two droids were already waiting for them in the central hold area. Anakin softly patted 3PO's shoulder with a smile. It felt incredible to have the droid beside him again. He was the link that had unexpectedly connected his past and his present. A link that, he hoped, would also connect him with a worthy future. He breathed in deeply. He felt more focused somehow. He looked at his son beside him and the boy's supportive smile brought a warmth to his breast that restored his confidence anew. He smiled back and, resolutely, he followed the others outside.  
  
When they descended the ramp, they found a small reception committee waiting for them at the foot of the ship. At the head, they recognized Mon Mothma's right hand, Areen Worzzlek.  
  
"Welcome aboard," he greeted them. "Mon Mothma sends her apologies for being unable to receive you tonight. She's very busy with her staff right now, coordinating the information and data coming from all fronts. The next few hours and days will be crucial, hopefully to bring this war to an end. She's asked me to tell you she'll meet you tomorrow morning at 10 hundred hours in the main conference room." He addressed the last sentence to Luke and Anakin only. The group silently commended the man's self- control. It was very obvious from the way he was glaring at Anakin he was aware of his true identity.  
  
Anakin held his stare with dignity, but also with an overwhelming feeling of shame. This is what lay ahead for him from now on. He'd better get used to it.  
  
Luke stood proudly at his father's side, with a gentle but firm stance that perfectly matched his father's quiet dignity. It was far from him to antagonize Mon Mothma's representative and get into an ego contest with him, but he would never let his father go through this alone, under any circumstance.  
  
Nobody said a word for a few tense seconds, and finally relenting, Areen Worzzlek continued.  
  
"Now, if you'll follow me, we'll escort you to your assigned quarters for the night," he made an elegant gesture with his hand.  
  
With curt nods, the little group followed the smartly dressed committee.  
  
While they were walking through the endless corridors of the ship, Lando furtively caught up with Han and Leia, who walked ahead of him, the Corellian's arm always wrapped around the silent Princess's waist.  
  
"Why do you think they scheduled the meeting for tonight, if they already knew they'd have to postpone it for tomorrow? Do you think they have a hidden agenda?" he whispered to them.  
  
"I guess they preferred to have Luke and his father safely aboard, not walking around Endor, where his suit could be easily recognized," Han surmised, pointing at Anakin, who walked ahead of them by his son's side. "Some things have to be announced to the public with a lot of tact. I suppose they want to settle everything here first, before any public announcement has to be made."  
  
"Yes, it makes sense," Lando agreed.  
  
They kept on walking in silence while Han began to have second thoughts. Leia was one of the most important members of Mon Mothma's staff. The fact that she wasn't invited to join in the key conference that was taking place right now could only mean two things. Either Mon Mothma intended to give them all a good night's rest after almost losing their lives on the moon below ... or the recent turn of events had already jeopardized Leia's position in the Alliance' headquarters and seriously compromised Mon Mothma's trust in her. He shivered at the thought.  
  
Nah, it couldn't be! After all, Leia had informed her right after finding out how things had finally turned out. If Vader had died on the Death Star, it would have been ludicrous to tell her. The problem would have simply solved itself. But as soon as she had known Vader was alive and he intended to join the Alliance, her first thought had been to loyally notify her leader of the unexpected turn of events, being perfectly aware of the personal consequences it could entail to all of them. Leia was not to blame for the fact that the Alliance's worst enemy also happened to be her father and Luke's. No one was to blame for where they came from. Her loyalty to the Alliance was unquestionable. But there were always opportunists, ready to slander to improve their own position, closer to the centre seat.  
  
No, he was definitely being paranoid. The Alliance was not like that. The Alliance was exactly what the decaying Old Republic and the Empire had never been. Mon Mothma's staff wasn't made of that kind of people, she had made sure of that. That was why he had joined the Rebellion in the first place. He, Han Solo, the paradigm of solitary 'enterprises', had finally found a cause worth being a part of. His mind suddenly filled with lots of instances in which the Alliance had demonstrated time and again what type of ideals it had been founded on. Such as all the Imperial prisoners they had reprieved and allowed to come to the truth by themselves, and then offering them the choice to join them.  
  
The abolition of the death penalty was a decisive factor for Han to join in. The Alliance had been intelligent enough to realize that killing their enemies was never the way. When the war was over, they would have to coexist peacefully again, and summary executions would only make hatred and resentment grow. The galactic wound would never heal.  
  
The Alliance had learnt from all the mistakes the Old Republic had made that had permitted the Empire to rise. Families divided by both sides, people fighting their own relatives ... a galactic civil war, that's what this nightmare had been about. Forgiveness and understanding were the only ways to survive now. Punishing or suddenly doubting Leia or Luke, or any of them for that matter, after all they had sacrificed, because Darth Vader happened to be their father, was petty. Their commitment was out of the question. Han knew that couldn't be what the Alliance intended. He was certain they only had their best interests in mind.  
  
But still, Han Solo was only human, and he wondered. He couldn't wait for the morning to arrive, so he could put all this stupid apprehension behind him once and for all.  
  
Areen Worzzlek's voice brought him back to the present with a start, and the Corellian felt an illogical surge of gratitude for the interruption of his musings.  
  
"These are your rooms. You will find a fair variety of clothes to get changed. There's a small mess at the end of the corridor, so you can have some refreshments before you retire. And now, I shall bid you good night."  
  
With another graceful bow, the small party left the tired and confused group standing in the middle of the long corridor filled with rooms.  
  
"Well!" Lando opened his arms wide. "I suppose we're free to choose our own room now. I refuse to give one more step than strictly necessary, so I'll take this one." He indicated the door directly in front of him.  
  
By silent mutual agreement or in sheer need of remaining close to each other, it didn't matter what, the others chose the adjoining rooms. Chewie chose the one beside Lando's, Han's was between Chewie's and Leia's and Luke's between Leia's and his father's.  
  
"Leia," the young man softly called his sister when she was about to get inside her room. "You should get a med droid to check your arm before you go to sleep. It's nothing serious, but it's got to be bothering you."  
  
"How did you know ...?" Han couldn't help the first words from escaping his lips, as he had the first time. "Don't tell us. Another Force thing, right?" He let out his famous lopsided grin, Han Solo's trademark.  
  
Luke wriggled his eyebrows playfully at his friend in a pretended spooky gesture, and Anakin chuckled to himself.  
  
"You're right," Leia replied with unexpected aplomb. "And you should do the same about your burns."  
  
Luke's eyes opened like two saucers. He clearly didn't expect his sister to know about his own wounds in return.  
  
"Wait a minute! Are you hurt?" Han asked. His voice was full of concern.  
  
Luke looked down, a bit sheepish.  
  
"Yeah. You can't refuse the Dark Side without expecting to be punished to death. Palpatine made that point very clear." He shivered helplessly at the memory.  
  
Leia stepped forward and held him. The two siblings clung to each other for a while, needing the reassurance of touch once again.  
  
Leia sighed and closed her eyes at the images that had begun to cross her mind again. While she had been waiting for Han and the others to blow the shield generator, sitting by a boulder and fiercely guarded by Wicket and several Ewoks, her thoughts had instinctively turned to Luke. She had thought of him often during the battle and when she concentrated deeply, she thought she could feel his emotions: rage, doubt, fear, despair, anger, helpless love ... But right then, she had felt a searing pain all over her body. Heat, smarting. And flashes of images too. Lightning, sparks, darkness. And then, she had a quick flash of a cloaked figure holding a smaller hooded one above him ... She had shaken her head sharply and then, the images were gone, and with them, the unbearable feeling of pain. From there on, she had only received peaceful feelings, boundless love and happiness beyond belief. Until a few minutes later, when she had suddenly felt so much anguish and heartbreaking grief that she had struggled to shut out any incoming feelings from her brother. It was too overwhelming, and unethical, since it was her brother's privacy she was invading, albeit involuntarily. Until Luke taught her how to control this gift, she refused to keep on receiving. She had only opened her mind again twice: when she had felt him reaching out to her, informing her they were coming, and to please prepare their friends for the inevitable news; and when she had felt him approaching and she had sent out the image of where they were waiting for them.  
  
She knew Luke had told them the truth when he had related to them how his father had killed Palpatine to save his life. It fit exactly with everything she had felt ... and seen. But something told her that Vader ... Anakin ... that he hadn't told them the whole truth when he had said Luke had healed him. There was much more there than met the eye, she could feel it. Something transcendental had happened between them, something that had bound the two of them together in a way Leia couldn't even begin to understand. But in a good, positive way, she was certain about that. Well, positive for her brother, that was.  
  
She agreed with Han, they had many things to discuss, much to understand about each other, many pending issues to sort out. She strongly doubted she would ever change her mind, but they had to settle everything down, for good or evil. She dreaded facing him, she could feel her resolve wavering just by looking into those kind gentle eyes, so much like Luke's ... But she couldn't forgive. It wouldn't be fair to all the people he had slaughtered. Millions of tortured souls, her own mother among them, stood between them and they always would.  
  
She let go of her brother with a little shiver. Luke stroked her cheek, smiling, in sweet understanding.  
  
"Shall we meet at the mess in, say, one hour?" Luke proposed to them.  
  
They all looked at each other, nodding in agreement, and they entered their rooms in complete silence.  
  
Once inside his room, Anakin leaned on his door, and let out a sigh of ... relief? Defeat? Resignation? He couldn't be certain. He felt as if a stampede of Banthas had run over him. He had no idea where he stood now, what to expect, what to feel.  
  
Well, he did know what he felt, that was the problem. He was feeling everything at the same time. His mind was in a turmoil and he couldn't make it stop. Too many things had happened, and too fast. He slowly began pacing his room in circles.  
  
This morning he was Darth Vader, a Dark Lord of the Sith, loyal to his Master, to whom he had faithfully served for over 20 years with all the strength his cyborg body had possessed. Now, he was Anakin Skywalker, father of two children, Jedi Knight and fully human. Human!  
  
His heart skipped a beat in his chest when he found himself staring at his reflection in the mirror by the bed. With suddenly trembling legs, he approached the stranger who stared at him, gaping, from the other side of the glass.  
  
Force, who was this man? For a moment, reality shifted, and he thought he was contemplating an older Luke. He touched his face, in a vain attempt at identifying himself with that person. He still bore some resemblance to the young man he had been once, whom he vaguely remembered. He was older, with sharper features, several lines ... And there was a remaining eerie youthfulness in that face as well. They were the effects of the logical aging process. After all, more than 20 years had passed.  
  
He smiled ironically. The logical aging process! There was no logic in anything that had transpired in the last few hours. It was overwhelming to think about it. And so disturbing ...  
  
It suddenly dawned on him it was the suit what made him feel so odd. He was Anakin Skywalker, dressed in Darth Vader's suit. Or was he Darth Vader with Anakin Skywalker's face? Reality began spinning again.  
  
No, no! Darth Vader was gone. There was nothing left of that maniac in him anymore. He knew it, he could feel it! It had happened all so fast his mind was still getting used to ... to ...  
  
Somehow, he felt as if the last twenty years had never happened. It had to be some sort of post-traumatic reaction. Delayed shock, perhaps. He had been one person for over half his life and reverting back to Anakin all of a sudden had left him disconnected and strangely detached from himself.  
  
These last 20 years seemed to unreal! It was as if he had been trapped in a dark tunnel he couldn't escape from, and he had only existed there and turned round and round ... He felt as if he was 20 years old and had suddenly awakened one morning to find himself 20 years older; as if no time at all had elapsed.  
  
He was going to need some psychological help to readjust himself to his new life. Maybe he had developed a personality disorder. Maybe he was mad.  
  
Or maybe he was just tired.  
  
He stopped feeling his face and put his arms down. He hadn't seen his face for over twenty years. It was understandable he didn't recognize the man he had become during that time. And that suit symbolized someone who didn't exist anymore, that was why he felt so detached from himself and from his entire situation. It was as simple as that.  
  
Was it?  
  
Force, he felt so vulnerable! Almost like a newborn. And he was frightened. What would become of him now? He felt as naked inside as he suddenly realized he also was outside. Somewhere along his musings, he had stripped off. The sight of his naked body was another shock. He truly was flesh and blood again! His arms, his legs ... Everything was human! He looked down at himself for a while, as if trying to sort out the mysteries of the universe.  
  
'Oh, Luke, child, what have you done to me?', he thought, almost in despair.  
  
And again, he realized all his thoughts converged in Luke. His son seemed to hold the answer to his every question.  
  
He shook his head and entered the small bathroom. He needed a shower, he needed to wash off twenty years of atrocities, he needed to feel the soothing feel of the water running down his skin, washing away the Dark Side stench he could almost smell.  
  
And after so many years, he was going to experience again something as ordinary as a shower. And now he could eat too! To taste, to chew ... everything a human being could do! He raised his eyebrows at the completely offhand thoughts that came to his mind one after the other. Force, he was going crazy! His mind was jumping from one thought to another, completely at random. He felt he was about to short-circuit.  
  
As he stood within the stall, letting the lukewarm water soak his body and his mind, Anakin was able to stop his mental meandering. He breathed in deeply, reaching into the Force and trying to enter the first levels of meditation, only from the Light Side this time. The first time in over two decades.  
  
It instantly reached out and swept him away in soothing, gentle arms. It felt as new and awesome as it had felt years ago. It was calm and warm, and comforting, and loving. It seemed to respond to him and recognize him. They got reacquainted with each other in a joyful, ecstatic reunion. And Anakin felt all his fears dissipating in this pure embrace. He shouldn't worry about his Destiny. Things would happen at their own pace and at the right time. And as they should. He only had to let go, and accept them.  
  
Anakin filled his soul with that beautiful certainty. Time would take care of everything. He would eventually stop feeling so detached from his new situation, from his own body, from his new life. He had a lot of adapting to do. Too much had happened too soon, and it was no wonder he felt so disoriented and confused. He only had to trust. Trust the Alliance. They would do the right thing, for all of them. Trust his son. Anakin smiled. That was easy. He trusted Luke until the last spark of life he possessed. The mere thought of his boy gave him peace and joy as he had never known.  
  
His love for Luke reverberated in the Force and it bounced back at him in a blinding flash of colours and lights that left Anakin breathless. Their Destiny lay with each other, he knew that now. A lot depended on them. The rebuilding of the Jedi Order rested on their shoulders. The biggest challenge and responsibility. It would take generations, but one day, it would be as prosper and bright as it had been in the past. A source of inspiraton and guidance for the whole galaxy. He only hoped he could prove himself worthy of such a momentous task. He smiled in self-disgust. Here he was, helping to rebuild what he had exterminated! What he had defiled and ... A sudden nausea made him double over. He gasped and breathed deeply for a few moments, trying to catch his breath. He broke sweating and he shivered, feeling sick. His skin felt all flushed.  
  
This was what awaited him from now on. Remorse and unbearable torment would chase him, both awake and asleep, for the rest of his life. This agony would constantly remind him he was alive. Life. A right he had denied millions.  
  
He felt his face again. This wetness ... this wetness wasn't only from the shower. He was crying. He was crying!! And it wasn't the first time, it joyfully dawned on him. He had cried in happiness when he had seen his child's immense joy at seeing him alive and he had felt his boundless love for him. He could cry! The realization felt like a benediction fallen from the sky. He could cry for himself! For the others! For all of them! Blessed humanity! He still could cry!! This was what being human truly meant!  
  
Anakin arched his head back and let the water from the sprinkler fall directly onto his face. It felt like rain. Ah, so long since he had last felt the rain falling on him! An almost forgotten sensation that felt as old and new to him as if it had happened yesterday, a million years ago. He burst out laughing, unable to help himself. He felt ecstatic, alive as he had never felt, or so it seemed to him. He could feel everything and it overwhelmed him blissfully! If he was going crazy, he never wanted to be sane again!  
  
He was human. He was human! He laughed and cried at the same time and he didn't care. He had refused the release of his emotions for so long they had exploded from him now in an avalanche he couldn't stop. Nor did he want to. He was healing his soul, the same way his son had healed his body a few hours ago.  
  
He completely lost track of time as he completely gave himself to this emotional cleansing. Until, slowly, he opened his eyes and blinked. He rubbed his face again and sighed. He looked at the ceiling for a few moments, collecting himself. He felt better now. Much better. Water was so soothing, so relaxing he would gladly remain like that for hours. He gave a sudden start then, realizing it had to be quite late already. He hurriedly rinsed himself off and turned off the water. Dripping, he got out of the stall and dried himself in silence. At last, there was silence inside his head as well. He had run a whole gamut of emotions, emotions he had bottled up for much too long. He felt as if that cathartic release had reopened old pathways inside his heart. He felt like a floating bubble, full of gentle, serene feelings. He felt peace.  
  
He knew now everything he needed to know. He should be dead, but he wasn't. Luke's love had brought him back and thus giving him a chance to redeem himself and try to make up for crimes that were impossible to make up for. But he had to try, if only for all the lives he still could save and help. He contented himself with that thought.  
  
He checked the standard gear in the small closet. There were clothes for a variety of species, but ... none of them his size. Well! It wasn't the first time he faced this particular problem. It was frustrating, but it didn't matter. He chose the closest thing to his size he could find. A matching cream coloured bottoms and a long-sleeved top. The tissue was light and fresh. The bottoms' legs didn't reach his ankles and the sleeves didn't reach his wrists. He felt a bit silly, but he didn't care. The good thing about it was that he wouldn't step on his bottoms while he walked. He let out a tiny smile. Positive thinking, that was the key! At least, he had found slippers his size!  
  
With a blending of fear and trepidation, he risked looking at himself in the mirror again. It was still shocking, but ... good. He edged closer. The feeling of detachment wasn't as definite as it had been a while ago. The familiar stranger was still there, staring back at him, but he felt he could get used to him. He reminded him too much of a certain young man called Luke Skywalker. A big smile came unbidden to his lips. Now, that was a beautiful, comforting thought! And one that made him so happy!!  
  
He grabbed Darth Vader's useless, repulsive suit, and without looking at it he threw it down the chute. He had been right. Those black, ugly clothes had confused him terribly the first time he had looked at himself in the mirror. They had made him doubt himself. Now he knew who he was, who he wanted to be and who he would become, with his children's and their wonderful friends' help.  
  
He looked at the chrono. It was the time. Squaring his shoulders resolutely, he exited his room.  
  
Once in the corridor, Anakin instinctively looked at his left, at his son's door. Right then, it slid open, and a medical droid came out.  
  
"Thank you, 2-1B," came Luke's soft voice from inside.  
  
"You are welcome, sir," the droid replied.  
  
Not really knowing why, Anakin barged into he room like a charging reek.  
  
Luke stood by his bed, happily fastening his top, looking very refreshed, his hair still partially wet. He was wearing clothes very similar to Anakin's, only they were lighter in colour and ... his size. The young man looked up and his smile widened. His face lit up.  
  
"Hello, Father!" he greeted enthusiastically. His eyes opened wide as he noticed the older man's attire. "Hey, you look great!" He half-closed his eyes and a twinkle appeared in them when he saw the size of the clothes his father was wearing. "Do you plan to go fishing this evening?" he teased.  
  
Anakin let out a sigh of relief, realizing he had panicked needlessly. He should have been able to ascertain via the Force his son was perfectly all right. But as soon as he had seen the med droid coming out of his boy's room, all coherent thought had deserted him. He was beginning to understand that as far as his children's wellbeing was concerned, rational thinking did not apply.  
  
A heartbeat later, Luke's teasing registered, and he raised his eyebrows in an exaggeratedly dignified expression that couldn't hide his amusement.  
  
"Not really, but if I ever decide to go fishing, I already know what to wear." He looked down at himself, held the legs of his bottoms and raised them up slightly, as he supported his weight on his heels and wriggled his toes inside his slippers. The gesture was so comical Luke burst out giggling.  
  
"Couldn't find anything your size, uh?" Luke surmised as he sat down on his bed and put on his slippers. "I guess being so tall for a human, also has its disadvantages."  
  
"Several. My repeatedly bumped head over the years can testify to that," Anakin confirmed and Luke chuckled. He stepped closer. "Are you all right, Son?"  
  
Luke looked up at him with a gentle, grateful expression on his face.  
  
"Sure I am! 2-1B patched up my burns. And I have to tell you they sting more now after being healed than before! They were mostly superficial, so no problem!" Luke opened his arms wide, showing his father he still was in one piece.  
  
Anakin stared at his son up and down, seeing it for himself. The truth was his boy looked younger and infinitely more alive than an hour ago. There was a boyish aura and an almost childish happiness about him that was incredibly endearing. He looked as if the weight of the universe had been taken off his shoulders. Anakin looked down, realizing the motive behind his son's new youthful appearance. He shook his head and tried to get rid of the sudden pang of bitter remorse.  
  
He looked up again and smiled, despite himself. Luke's eyes were shining with hope, joy and confidence. His still wet hair made him look like a dishevelled cub. Some lines across his face had softened and his sweet smile made him look several years younger than he was. The clothes he wore also had something to do with it. Their light colour made Anakin realize that was a big part of the answer.  
  
"You look good too," he praised. "And that colour becomes you more than black. It matches your aura."  
  
Luke stared at him curiously.  
  
"Don't get me wrong. Black is very elegant and makes people look very distinguished and all. I've always liked to wear dark colours myself. But ..."  
  
Luke reached out with an understanding smile and squezed his father's forearm. He knew very well what his father was truly saying.  
  
"I understand," he said softly. "And I'm glad to see you've heeded your own words. You look completely different too. We are part of the Light, and our clothes are reflecting what we are, in a way. Although the contrast also looks good. But I agree with you. Besides, I'm happy, and my clothes only reflect my mood!", he finished with a smile from ear to ear.  
  
Anakin's heart swelled and almost exploded.  
  
"You are happy, Son?"  
  
Luke's eyes sparkled with life and joy.  
  
"Of course I am! The war is close to an end, most of my friends survived it and I got my father back. I couldn't possibly wish for more!" A veil of sadness crossed his features a second later. Anakin felt the echo of his child's spiritual pain. "Well, except mum."  
  
The regret in his voice was more than Anakin could bear. His son's soul- deep pain joined his own. He bit his lips and searched for Luke's hand, in a feeble attempt at mutual comfort. 'Oh, Padmé, my love! If only you were here!'  
  
He stared at their joined hands and something in Luke's made him open his eyes like two saucers and catch his breath.  
  
"Luke!" he gasped.  
  
"What is it?" the boy was suddenly alarmed. His father had paled and seemed about to collapse.  
  
"Y- Your hand!" Anakin stuttered, staring at it. He didn't dare to move a muscle, lest he was dreaming.  
  
Luke looked down at his right hand and he realized what had shocked his father so. 2-1B had also repaired the shot he had received on Jabba's Sail Barge and it looked as good as new now. That was why he had taken off his glove.  
  
"It's all right, Father," he smiled. "It's bionic, but it does look fully human, don't you think? There have been incredible advances in biomechanics these last few years. And I got the best." He let go of his father's hand and brought his own up to their eyes' level.  
  
Anakin took it again and studied it with a blending of horrified fascination and heartbreaking pain. He turned it over and brushed his fingertips almost reverently across the palm. Luke's fingers flexed instinctively in reaction.  
  
"Son ..." Anakin's voice choked and he didn't dare to raise his head.  
  
"Don't, Father. Please. It doesn't matter to me. Really!"  
  
"But it does matter to me! It's not fair ..." his words reminded him of his youth, when he was always complaining about things that were mostly irrelevant. And he knew this was the first time in his life he used these words rightly. He clenched his eyes shut. If only he could change his hand for his boy's! "Please, forgive me!" The anguish and remorse in his voice and in his eyes were infinite when he finally opened them and looked at his son.  
  
They gazed into each other's eyes. Anakin's were brimming with tears and Luke's were full of love and understanding.  
  
"Very well. If you still need me to say the words, I will say them. I do forgive you, Father! With all my heart!" His eyes and his voice were intense, soothing and gentle; a balm to Anakin's soul.  
  
Anakin closed his eyes and took a deep breath that burned a path down to his lungs. He sighed and sniffled.  
  
Luke smiled tenderly. He clasped his father's fingers in his hand and squeezed them, trying to convey his heartfelt feelings in every way he could.  
  
"Are you two ready?" Leia's voice came from Luke's door.  
  
Anakin turned about slowly, furiously blinking his tears away, and faced his daughter, who looked lovely on a violet jump suit. The colour fit her amazingly. Her hair was braided on the top of her head, and the final inches fell loosely on her shoulders, giving her a very juvenile look. Her physical resemblance to Padmé was eerie now. How come he hadn't noticed it sooner? Anakin couldn't help but feel a tremendous rush of pride in the two children he had sired, even though one of them couldn't care less about the pride he could feel in her achievements. He looked down to hide his helpless sorrow.  
  
"Yes, we are," Luke replied, collecting himself. He looked up at his father, who nodded at him with a forced smile.  
  
As they left Luke's room, the young man noticed the strange way Leia's eyes lingered a bit longer than necessary on Anakin. He wished to know what was going on inside her head. He realized then his door had remained open all the time since 2-1B had left. He couldn't help but think Leia had overheard most of their conversation. He didn't mind at all. He only hoped their exchange had helped his sister to see things more clearly. Her thoughts were mostly a mystery to him, so close she kept them to herself.  
  
  
  
Han was leaving his room at that particular moment and he greeted Leia with a loving kiss and a thoroughly appreciative look. The Princess clung to his arm as they walked up to the mess. That gave Luke a pretty fair idea of just how very mixed up her feelings had to be. And also, how very much they loved and depended on each other's strength and support. He smiled to himself. He couldn't wait to attend his sister's and his best friend's wedding!  
  
When they entered the mess, they found Chewie and Lando were already there. Lando was wearing an attire pretty similar to his friends'. All of them had opted for light, fresh, loose clothes. He was sitting at a rectangular table, at one of its ends. It seemed he had just arrived, because he still hadn't made a start on his food. He had several pieces of fruit on a plate and a glass full of some kind of juice. Chewie was sitting at the other end of the table. He had also chosen a few pieces of fruit for supper.  
  
Following their friends's example, the newcomers also chose pieces of fruit and juices. They were going to retire right after the meal, and they wanted to have a good digestion despite the fact that they were really hungry. They would make up for it in the morning.  
  
One by one, they sat at the table. Everybody was casting surreptitious glances at Anakin. All but Luke. Looking at him now, dressed like that, nobody could believe that man had ever been Darth Vader. He irradiated goodness and gentleness and it was very confusing. They felt uncomfortable around him because they knew who he used to be, not because of who he was now. It made no sense, but ...  
  
Han and Leia sat together at one side of the table and Anakin and Luke sat in front of them. Luke was facing Leia and Han faced Anakin. They began eating in silence, none of them knowing what to say to break the ice.  
  
Anakin grabbed a peach-looking piece of fruit from his plate and stared at it, turning it round in his hand, feeling it. He brought it to his nose and sniffed at it, his eyes dreamy and unusually bright. He seemed completely lost in his thoughts. But all of a sudden, Anakin looked up from his fruit to the faces that watched him in silence, blinking. He smiled bashfully at them. He reminded them of a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.  
  
"Sorry. I got carried away," he softly explained.  
  
Luke's hand softly touched his father's forearm.  
  
"First time?" he softly asked.  
  
Anakin nodded, staring down at his plate and at the fruit it contained.  
  
"Yes, Son. My first solid food since before you were born."  
  
"What do you mean? You haven't eaten in 20 years either?" Han's eyes popped out of their sockets.  
  
Anakin nodded and looked at the Corellian straight in the eye.  
  
"My injuries didn't allow me to eat any solid food. I could only have juices, purées and very simple foods. My digestive system was quite damaged too."  
  
"You were a real human wreck, man!" Lando commented, impulsively.  
  
Anakin nodded, suddenly pensive.  
  
"Yes, Calrissian, I was indeed. In every way," his voice and his face had darkened, clearly lost in one of the countless horrors that filled his memory. But then, he breathed in deeply through his suddenly flared nostrils and brought the fruit to his mouth. He bit it and tore a small piece. He made a strange face at the taste, but a few seconds later, his features lit up and an almost childish expression crossed his features.  
  
"Delicious!" he announced, as he tore a second bite without swallowing the first. Even chewing seemed completely new to him. He felt like a child discovering the world for the very first time!  
  
Luke smiled to himself. He felt privileged, albeit a bit uncomfortable, for witnessing again such a private, beautiful moment. Happiness seemed to have taken permanent residence inside his heart and he clung to that evasive, until lately that is, precious feeling for all he was worth. Some people seemed to gain their happiness from big deeds, huge accomplishments and especially from power, whatever the word meant to them. Luke Skywalker's happiness was sitting at that table right now. His friends, his sister and his father, all sitting together, having supper. How could such a simple, ordinary thing make him want to jump up and down on his chair like a little boy? Because of the sheer exceptionality of it. It was one of his many lonely childhood dreams come true. Good heavens! He felt like standing up and hugging every single one of them in turn! But he restrained himself. He was a Jedi!  
  
Anakin finished his fruit and began attacking the next, oblivious to his audience staring at him with their mouths hanging open. Luke bit his lips, trying his best not to burst out laughing. If only his friends could see their faces!  
  
Han recovered first. He blinked and looked down at his plate. He grabbed one piece of fruit and looked at it, curiously.  
  
"Looking at you makes my mouth water, man!" he commented, before biting it hungrily.  
  
Han's words seemed to bring the others out of their collective stupor, and they began eating eagerly.  
  
Some minutes later, Chewie barked something.  
  
"It feels incredible, Chewie," Anakin replied, trying to prevent some drops of juice from dribbling down his lower lip. "Everything feels heightened. All my senses seem keener. After a lifetime of using artificial senses, I guess it's normal to feel this way. It'll pass when I get used to it." He smiled apologetically as he finally had to use the napkin. He looked up afterwards and saw that everybody had either finished their meal already or were about to. He put the napkin back on the table, closed his eyes and concentrated deeply. He needed calm to say what he had to say, and with the right words. He had to say it now that they were all gathered together, in case it wasn't possible afterwards. It was going to be a very difficult time for all of them, and he prayed not to cause too much harm by bringing up those clearly unhealed wounds between them. But it had to be done. He owed it to every single one of them. With an inner shiver of foreboding, he made up his mind.  
  
"There's something I would like to say to you, and it's not easy," he began, in a slightly trembling voice. "It's not easy because I know it won't change anything. But I owe it to you, I owe it to everybody across the galaxy. Hopefully, one day I'll have the chance to say the words to all the beings I owe it to."  
  
Everybody at the table braced themselves, already knowing what was Anakin's intention. Luke gazed lovingly at his father, sending him all the emotional support he could through their link. He was very impressed by his father's courage. He would be about to collapse if he was in his place. His admiration for the man kept on growing the more he knew him, with no ending in sight.  
  
Anakin's head turned to his right, where Lando sat.  
  
"General Calrissian, I offer you my deepest apologies for what happened at Bespin. I was completely beside myself with my obsession with wanting to capture Luke and that was the first time in my life I didn't respect an agreement. Believe it or not, during the time I was Darth Vader, I always respected the deals I made and I always abode by them. I always had a sense of honour, although that may sound like a bad taste joke to you, and rightfully so. Please, accept my humble excuses for what happened there."  
  
Lando stared deeply into Anakin's eyes for a few moments, seeing his total sincerity. The words he had said to the big man aboard the Millennium Falcon had been the right ones. This man had changed, the more time he spent with him, the more convinced of it he was. Words couldn't change all the evil he had done and certainly, there was no way for him to undo it. But it was a beginning. He looked down and filled his lungs with much needed oxygen before facing Anakin's eyes again.  
  
"I believe your words and I know you're sincere. If you need my pardon, then it's yours. What I said in the Falcon stands. Everybody has the right to change and we're bound to give them the chance. I won't deny you that opportunity and I hope the Alliance grants you that right as well."  
  
Anakin gulped and looked down at his lap for a moment, pulling himself together. With a deep intake of breath he met Lando's eyes, and the hint of an infinitely grateful smile crossed his pale features.  
  
"Thank you, Calrissian. Thank you ... for everything."  
  
Lando nodded and his answering smile felt like a sip of fresh water to Anakin. The older man closed his eyes for another moment, drawing strength from Lando's words, before turning his head to the other end of the table, and settling his gaze on Chewbacca.  
  
"Chewie, I want to ask your forgiveness for all the years of hunt the Empire has subjected you to. I apologize for all the pain I brought to you, not just for your physical injuries, but for the pain I made you feel when I hurt and took away from you those you cared about. I know that words can't take the pain away, but they're all I have. Please, accept them."  
  
Chewie didn't need any time to think things over. His feelings and his instincts had told him since Anakin had first approached them on Endor on Luke's promptings that he wasn't the same man who had tortured them all in Cloud City. He even smelled different. He couldn't explain it properly, but Vader's scent had been so mechanical-like, so coldly devoid of any humanity and compassion and so full of anger and hatred, that Chewie had been almost physically repelled by it. The essence of that smell was still there and always would, because every single being had a unique scent, only Anakin's was now full of warm, sweet gentleness and love. It was the scent of a decent, caring and loving human being. Chewie sniffed at it once again and suddenly exploding with joy, he reached out and half-hugged Anakin over the table, roaring vehemently. Anakin didn't count on Chewacca's impulsive reaction, and found his mouth full of Wookie hairs.  
  
Luke covered his mouth with his hand, hiding his smile.  
  
'I threatened you before with Chewie's hugs. Now you know why. And be grateful he was easy on you because of the table!' he sent teasingly.  
  
'Why, thank you so much for warning me in advance, Son! That was so thoughtful of you,' Anakin sent back, ironically.  
  
When Chewie let him go, Anakin smiled up at the big creature with misted eyes. He was deeply moved by the Wookie's fervent and heartfelt pardon. To him, Anakin's repentance had erased any evil he could have done to him. All that mattered was that Anakin had changed, and that was the end of it. Chewie considered Anakin to be one of his clan now, as Han and all his closest friends in the Alliance were, and he would support and defend him as such, just as fiercely.  
  
"Thank you so much, Chewie. I don't deserve your words, but thank you." Anakin looked down, overwhelmed.  
  
Chewie reached out and ruffled Anakin's hair until he left it as if he had been caught up in a sandstorm. This time, Luke couldn't prevent an snigger from escaping his lips at the sight.  
  
It took longer this time, but after calming down again, Anakin ventured to face Han's intense eyes, that were already settled on him, as if he had already figured out he was going to be next.  
  
"General Solo," his voice broke and he quickly cleared his throat. "Please accept my humblest apologies for the way the Empire and myself have treated you. I can't find the words to express ... to convey all the remorse and shame I feel. I wish I could turn back time and change all the things I did, but I can't. I have to live with it, and believe me, there can be no worse punishment." He swallowed hard, fighting the terrible ache in his throat. "I only hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me ... sometime."  
  
Han held his gaze for a long, deeply intense moment. The Corellian was trying to reach Anakin's heart in the only way possible for a non-Force sensitive, through his eyes and innermost sensations ... his own special brand of human intuition. His eyes were ablaze.  
  
Anakin could feel Solo's eyes burning a path to his soul, and he offered no resistence. There was nothing inside him he wasn't ready to share with any of them, no matter how ugly it was. He would keep no secrets from them. He only hoped they were strong enough to face what they found.  
  
Finally, Solo looked away. His eyes seemed distant, lost somewhere far away, as if he was turning inwards now, listening to his own little voice.  
  
"I can feel your sincerity and the decision is mine now ..." he suddenly said in a deep voice, "... is it?" His eyes became alive then and he turned to Anakin with a crooked smile. "I can only forgive what you've done to me. And I do forgive you, unreservedly. But you've killed and hurt others. And I'm not only talking about the people I love and whose pain means more to me than my own. Those are the crimes I can't forgive you."  
  
Anakin winced and his face clouded. A second later, a resigned expression replaced it and he nodded once, looking down.  
  
"But it's not that easy," Han went on dryly. "You're not the person who did those things anymore. No matter how much I want you to pay for it; I can't punish Darth Vader, because that monster no longer exists. There's only Anakin Skywalker here, and he doesn't deserve that," he took a deep breath and looked at all the people sitting at the table, Luke being the last one his eyes lingered on before facing Anakin again. "Chewie, Lando ... blast it, even the droids have forgiven you! Even Luke has." His eyes then met Luke's again, with a blending of awe, respect, admiration and plain astonishment. "And if Luke can forgive ... I guess I can learn to forgive because I'm no better than him."  
  
Luke's eyes filled with unshed tears and he shook his head, moved beyond words. He nodded at his friend gratefully. So moved he was he could only mouth the words: "thank you" to the Corellian. The depth of his feelings would never cease to amaze him. Once again, he thanked the Force for the friends he had found along the way. If a being measured their blessings by the friends they had, then Luke Skywalker was the richest person in the galaxy!  
  
Anakin was stunned. He couldn't think, couldn't speak, couldn't even breathe. He felt as if he had been punched in the stomach. He couldn't believe these people could ... he swallowed hard and started breathing again. His entire body ached with a pain that wasn't physical. He took several deep breaths until he brought himself back under control.  
  
"Thank you, General Solo. I know it's not enough, but my gratitude is all I have left to offer. I'm sitting here between you and I can't believe your generosity. I feel so ashamed, so unworthy I can't stand it!" He clenched his teeth, touched his chest with his fist and pressed, trying to make the pain stop. "Part of me wants to fade away and die; spare you, and myself, the burden of my own existence. But I can't do that, because I would be denying the most precious gift I will ever receive." Anakin looked at his son with incredibly loving eyes. They both knew what Anakin was really talking about now. "Giving up would be the easiest way out. But I'm not a coward and I'll try to live with what I've done. That's the deal. Your forgiveness is a gift I didn't expect and the only thing that's giving me the peace and the strength I need to go on." His eyes faced Han again. "You're a good, compassionate and caring man, Solo. Don't be afraid to show that part of you to those you love. No one should be ashamed of letting out that part of themselves. That is the part that makes us truly human and worthy of being called by that name." His eyes softened. "Thank you, General. Thank you so much!"  
  
Anakin's words seemed to reverberate in every corner of the room, echoing in everybody's minds time and again. Han gulped. Anakin's speech had touched him so deeply he had to blink to get rid of the sudden moisture in his eyes. He looked down for a moment, trying to collect himself. When he looked up again, Anakin's eyes were still on him, only less intense now. He nodded at him solemnly. He had the feeling he had just learnt something very important. He couldn't quite fathom what it was, only that it was now a part of him. Anakin had just given them all a gift beyond price.  
  
Luke stared at his father with his heart broken into a million little pieces. He wanted to reach out and hold him, as he had been about to do when he had felt his father breaking down in his room. But as it had happened then, something told him now that no matter how much he wanted to help his father, it wasn't the right time to do it. Anakin had to go through that spiritual cleansing alone in his room, and he had to go through this emotional release of his innermost feelings now. Anakin needed it, and what was even more important, his friends needed to hear it. Other times would sadly come, and he would be there for his father, night and day. Always. But this first time was different. Anakin had to finish on his own what he had begun. And one person still remained. The most important person. He prayed for Leia to realize their father's terribly vulnerable frame of mind and that she could bring herself to offer him the receptive, understanding part of herself Luke so loved.  
  
Anakin was already looking in Leia's direction. The Princess was much aware of her father's eyes on her, but she couldn't face him. Not now. Han's short speech had torn something deep inside her. On the one hand, she felt betrayed by them all. They couldn't have just forgiven him that easily! A lifetime of atrocities and genocides couldn't be put aside just like that. What about all the innocent lives he had taken and rejoiced in? What about the lives he hadn't taken but had been marked forever by his countless crimes? What about justice? That was what the irrational, vengeful part of her was screaming right now. But on the other hand, her rational, logical part was screaming at her to forgive, accept the past and move on with no burdens on her conscience and her heart. And it was proving to be the biggest challenge to reconcile both sides of herself. Both were a part of her, and she felt both sides were partially right. How to come to an agreement between them?  
  
She sighed softly. This man had nothing to do with her. He had never been a part of her life, she wasn't responsible for his pain now. He had earned it, all alone. He had no right to expect anything from her. And yet ... she wanted to give it to him. She wanted to have something to do with him from now on, but something held her back. She wanted, but she couldn't. Too much stood in the way.  
  
But she had to face him. They had to face each other and the demons who kept them apart. And the sooner they began facing them, the better. She braved his gaze with a sharp move of her head, surprising Anakin. He swallowed and took a deep, shaky breath.  
  
"Leia. Please, allow me to call you Leia if only this once, because no matter how much you despise me, I'm your father and I need to address you like this for what I have to tell you."  
  
Leia's eyes never left his face, reading his every expression, and she nodded quickly after a while.  
  
"You have no idea how difficult this is for me," his voice trembled, but he struggled to keep control. "I don't even know where to begin. There's so much to say, so much to beg forgiveness for. I can't find the right words. But I see there are no right words possible here." His blue eyes met hers fully and he surged ahead. "You're my daughter. You're part of me. I should have been beside you since you were born. I should have loved you, protected you and defended you with my life from those who wanted to cause you any harm. And yet, I've been your bloodiest enemy. I've hurt you, allowed your foster parents to be killed, your adoptive planet to be destroyed and I've murdered many people you loved. I've committed repugnant acts towards you. Immoral to any sentient being, let alone my own child. I tortured you, just as I did Luke." He closed his eyes, brutally fighting tears of immense shame and infinite pain. "You're my children and I seem to have been more merciless with you than with anybody else. I've done things that not even the ugliest mind could conceive. Living with those memories will be a torment." His respiration had quickened considerably and Anakin felt himself on the verge of hyperventilation. He closed his eyes and touched the Force, desperate for balance. After a few moments, he was able to continue. "I have no right to ask your forgiveness. Some things are beyond such a gift. But I'm honour bound to beg you for it, maybe more so because I may never get it. I would give my life a billion times to take back what I did to you, and I know it will mark your trust in me and any relationship we can have forever. But I need your forgiveness, my daughter. That's what I'll live and dedicate my entire life for." He looked down, hiding the tears that had filled his eyes. When he managed to prevent them from spilling, he looked up again. "If you can't, or won't, forgive me, I'll understand. I know I don't deserve it. Don't feel bad for hating me. I've earned your hatred. You owe me nothing whatsoever, so don't ever feel guilty for not being able to forgive me. Just ..." his eyes suddenly shone brighter than ever when the helpless tears finally streamed down his cheeks. His chin and his lips trembled, but his face remained otherwise devoid of any strong emotion; only full of sad, quiet dignity. He had done his best to hold them back, but they had won the battle. He wouldn't use them to soften his child's heart now. He bravely went on. "Just know that I love you. Now that I've opened my heart to love again and purged from me all the evil that had rotted my soul for so long ... everything feels so new, so intense I can't stop it, nor do I want to. I love you so much I think I could die. You ought to know it, in case you don't want to have anything to do with me after tonight."  
  
The most overwhelming silence fell upon them all when Anakin ended. Even breathing seemed to have come to a sudden halt. Lando, Chewie and Han stared at Anakin as if they were watching a complete stranger. Their faces reflected astonishment, awe and pain. Pain for this honest, caring man, who had just bared his soul in front of them in a way they had never seen. They felt extremely uncomfortable and unworthy for having witnessed such an emotional and private speech. With a sharp feeling of shame, they looked down, trying to compose themselves.  
  
Han swallowed the lump in his throat. He understood now why Luke loved this man so fiercely. It was a miracle the kid had been able to detect Anakin's soul beneath the mask of pestilence and horror Vader's words and acts had left disgustingly clear throughout the years. He would always be grateful to Luke for recovering this extraordinary man and bringing him back to them.  
  
Luke remained immobile, sitting by his father. He had rested his elbows on the table at the beginning of his father's speech, but then he had put up his left hand and covered his mouth with his trembling fist. His eyes were closed and he was biting his lips, doing his best to hide his crying. Through his link with his father he was perceiving all his mental emanations. Anakin's sorrow, his infinite repentance and regret for not having the love of the daughter he so loved, was tearing Luke apart. He was praying time and again for Leia to be merciful. She had to feel Anakin's love for her as he did! She had to see he had changed! She had to know he would give his life for them! She had to understand!  
  
The silence stretched for several minutes. Anakin looked down, too shaken to face them. He felt so soulfully tired and so physically and emotionally drained he doubted he could stand without collapsing.  
  
Leia stared at her father with her face flushed. She was so moved she didn't dare to say a word, lest she burst out sobbing. She was trembling softly, with a pain and a trepidation that wasn't entirely her own. She had the feeling many of these feelings came from Anakin. She had no idea how this could be possible and it disturbed her deeply. But right now she had other things to consider. Her father's speech had reopened a wound she had no idea it existed. But it had been there all her life, she knew that now. The wound of never knowing her real parents. Only her mother had been present during her first years, and she had gone far too soon. Her mother was an ever present, unhealed wound, and Anakin's presence constantly reminded Leia of her devastating loss. But she had no idea the absence of her real father, never knowing who he was or even his name, was also an unhealed wound. She had never really thought about it, but the pain had always been there, latent, waiting for her to finally acknowledge it.  
  
Now her real father was suddenly a part of her life and she couldn't even love him. Even more tragic, she was desperate to love him, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She felt unforgivably weak and unworthy for wanting to love him. She felt she was betraying her adoptive parents, her real mother and the millions Vader had slain. Why did it have to end up like this? Why couldn't he have died in the Death Star, as he should? It would have saved her, saved them all a lot of trouble. Saved her this needless heartache and torment and ...  
  
When her gaze met Anakin's, she felt as if an invisible hand had gripped her heart and was squeezing it mercilessly. She felt so exposed and so vulnerable it hurt. She had to get a grip. She had to think very carefully what she was going to say. But those eyes! Good heavens, she felt as if she was looking into Luke's eyes! So loving, so open and affectionate. And his words! Her chest constricted with a searing pain as she had rarely known.  
  
"I ..." she cleared her throat. Her voice had come out on its own. Her brain had never intended for her to start talking, but her heart seemed to have a mind of its own. And yielding, she let her heart take over. It felt the right thing to do. "I don't know what to say." She looked down briefly and took a deep breath. She looked up again at Anakin when she felt strong enough to brave his eyes. "I can feel you're sincere. Your feelings are genuine. You seem a decent and caring man. That's what my feelings are telling me. I want to forgive you and I wish we could get to know each other. I wish I could ... love you too." She bit her lower lip. She was slipping again. "But I can't."  
  
Anakin's features contorted with a pain beyond belief for a millisecond. He closed his eyes slowly and lowered his head. Somehow managing to control the unthinkable agony his heart and his soul were experiencing, he just nodded.  
  
"Luke, Han, Chewie, Lando ..." Leia went on almost immediately, and Anakin's haunted eyes hurried to meet hers. Now that she had begun, she had to go until the end. "All of them have forgiven you wholeheartedly, and I almost envy them for that. But there's something inside me that ... just can't do it. They keep saying you're not Darth Vader anymore. And they're right. I can feel that monster is gone. But the point for me is that you were Darth Vader. That's what I can't forget. All the millions of people you murdered can't be changed. The millions of orphans, vidowed and broken families you left behind can't be changed. The war you've helped unleash can't be changed." She took a deep breath to calm herself down. She was letting all out now and there was no stopping her. She needed this release as badly as breathing. "You ask for my forgiveness. And you have it. I forgive you with all my heart. I really do! But I can only forgive what you've done to me. Whenever I look at Han and I remember what you did to him, how you tortured him and used him as a guinea pig to freeze him in carbonite, as if he was no more than a laboratory specimen to be used and thrown into the garbage if the experiment failed ..." She shivered at the brutal memory. Something had snapped inside her then. Vader had killed something inside her that day, something she would never get back. "The way you tortured Chewie, just because ... Your complete lack of respect for the lives of others, how you relished in your so very refined methods of torture, just staring at your victims, studying their pain with cold-blooded fascination ... It's so obscene and perverted it makes me sick!" She made a pause to compose herself again. She brought up her trembling hand and covered her mouth briefly as she took some calming breaths through her nose. "And what you did to my brother ..." she hissed through clenched teeth. "I don't think you even know what you did to him. You didn't just take his hand that day in Bespin; you took his innocence, his will to live, everything that made him my little boyish Luke. You destroyed him; you broke him completely. You almost drove him to insanity. I'll never forget those first days when he woke up, crying and screaming, sometimes several times a night. He was feverish, crying out to you to come back and finish what you had begun ... He wanted to die because he couldn't face what he had learnt. I never knew what had really happened between you two, but I only had to look at my brother's distraught face, at his shattered dreams, at his soiled innocence to hate you more than I ever thought I could possibly hate anyone." She was gasping with the vehemence of her speech. Her body was shivering with the pressure of her wild emotions. But she had to finish. She also had to purge from her this beast that was crawling and twisting inside her. "When Luke told me last night who you really were, everything became so awfully clear!" Her eyes reddened and she sniffed. The weight of her conflicting emotions was overwhelming her fast. "When he said he was going to try and turn you back I thought he had finally lost his sanity. He looked so serene and peaceful it terrified me. I knew that nothing I ever said would make him change his mind. I felt helpless because I couldn't make him understand that what he sought was impossible! You couldn't be turned! You would kill him, or worse, you would use his love for you to make him like you! And I had to let him go, knowing I had lost him forever ..." The tears finally exploded from her and ran down her cheeks in rivulets. Her expression filled with ironic detachment all of a sudden. "And now you're back," she practically spat, "all goodness and wisdom, begging our forgiveness. But I can't forget! I can't forget my mother! I can't forget her sadness, how she slowly faded away and died. I can't forget how little I remember her. You took so much away from me! From all of us! I can't forgive what you've done to so many people. People I love and people I don't even know." She sniffled and paused briefly to catch her breath. She felt calmer now after letting all out. "Han's right. It's easier to forgive what has been done to yourself than to those you love." Her strength seemed to desert her all at once and she looked like a little girl, confused and overwhelmed. "The irony of this is that ... just like Luke back then ... I still want to love you. And I hate myself for it. I feel as if I was betraying the memory and the suffering of all those who died, those you killed. I feel guilty for still wanting to love you." She lay back on her seat and her voice became dreamy and full of melancholy. "You know? I always wondered about my real father, since I was a little girl. I loved Bail Organa. He was the only father I ever knew and to me, he was like my real father. He took care of me, he loved me, taught me everything I know, he passed on to me all the principles I abide my life by. But inside me, I desperately wanted to know about my real father. Why even his name was taboo. I wondered about his height, about the colour of his eyes and his hair, what he liked, what he enjoyed to do ... maybe he was serious or maybe he was funny ... But I learned to live with the mystery, even though I would have given anything to see an image of him." Her features darkened with an inner shudder. "And then, last night, I find out Darth Vader is my father. That monster took away from me even the illusion, the fantasy of what my wonderful father could have been like!" She clenched her fists. "Oh, I know now what Luke had to go through after Cloud City! Do I know!" She bent forward and placed her now intertwined fingers on the table right after quickly wiping away her tears. She seemed suddenly calmer. She had exorcized a lot of demons after this emotional outburst. "But you're a good man now, I can't deny that. I understand only too well why Luke has forgiven you so completely and why he loves you so unconditionally. I can feel how much you love him ... and how much you love me. But the past cannot be changed, cannot be forgotten or we'll be doomed to repeat it." She sighed in seeming defeat. "I am not Luke, I can't let go that easily." She looked down at her lap, as if searching there for some desperately needed answers. "I know I have to release my anger. It's like a predator that consumes your soul and takes you nowhere. You're the living proof of that." She looked at him with something akin to detached compassion. "Love always comes naturally. Love's the only way. But there's something inside me that can't tear down the wall I've placed between us. I need that wall! And not only to keep you away. I've relied on it all my life, it's saved my sanity and kept me focused during the hard times and the terrible decisions I've had to make over the years. I know I have to tear that wall down. I'm the only one who can do it. But right now, I just can't. I can't afford to be close to you. It gives me the creeps to even think how much I could love you! How much I need to love you! But too much has happened and I couldn't live with myself if I just ..." She wiped another tear away, almost angrily. "I'll need time, and patience. And your help, I can't do this on my own." She looked at them, feeling drained within the last corner of her soul. "Forgive my extra long speech, but I was a Senator, and old habits die hard." She couldn't help that final ironic retort.  
  
Her words had torn apart all those sitting at the table. Han had felt her every emotion as his own, and he had desperately wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold her tight. He wanted to make everything right for her, give her anything she needed to get rid of these ugly feelings he understood so well. He could see how shaken she was, how very much everything had hurt her, much more than any of them had ever suspected; how very, very much and how successfully she had bottled up her feelings. The extent of it all shocked him to his very core, and he regretted with all his heart not having been beside her to give her all the love and support she had needed so much. Now that she had finally let it all out, it had been like a raging storm that had poured down on all of them. He felt exhausted, but also, with an eerie feeling of peace. Everything was calm now. The brutal release of her emotions had shaken them all, but it had also been a sort of collective catharsis as well. A much necessary catharsis. Now, he would take care of her and give her anything she needed, in any way she needed it.  
  
Luke had watched his sister opening her heart with a blending of awe and incredible respect. As she gradually broke down, he had felt real physical pain. Through the Force, he had gone through every single feeling his sister had experienced. He knew her very well, but after her heartbreaking display of sincerity, he felt he had never admired her and loved her so much. What courage! What integrity! She had bared her very soul in front of them in a way he had never imagined it could be possible. She had exposed her every fault, resentment, fear, need, hope and dream, and she lay them all before them with a crude honesty as Luke had never seen. The tears streamed down the young man's cheeks shamelessly. How he loved her! He wanted to take her in his arms and assure her everything was going to be all right. He felt they were halfway already. This terribly painful emotional release was the beginning of their healing. Leia had opened the door. Now they could start building up the base of their quite unconventional family. They had the best base possible: the truth. And one day, they would look back at this moment and they would remember it as the moment where they were brave enough to get rid of every burden and reservation, and they embraced their future head-on. There was too much love, too much need to share that love with each other not to succeed. They had a lot to accept, a lot of forgiving to do, but the wounds would heal. He knew that now with a certainty as he had never felt. Full reconciliation would be a reality. Leia had just taken a huge step, and sooner than he had expected. His sister had too much love inside. But the extent of her pain was so immense!! He wanted to cradle her wounded heart close to him and heal it forever. He would help her in any way he could, he would soothe her pain, he would see again the carefree, exhuberant Princess Han and he had rescued (or had she rescued them?) in the Death Star years ago. They would help each other through these trying times and they would emerge, stronger and wiser than ever.  
  
On his part, Anakin was experiencing more pain that he thought a person could feel without going insane. He was seeing firsthand the irreparable damage and trauma he had caused his daughter. And he had found out more than he had bargained for. How that same pain had slowly killed his wife; his beautiful, precious angel. How his actions had affected so many lives, how much pain and suffering he had brought to all those who had ever loved him, or could have loved him. He looked down, not bothering to hide his tears anymore. He had gone beyond that point by now. He felt so ugly in front of these good, forgiving people! He wanted to run away and hide where no one could ever find him, he wanted to fade away and die, just as his sweet Padmé had done. He couldn't stand it! He couldn't live like this, with so many things reminding him constantly of what his fall had cost to so many people. His son, his daughter, his wife, Obi-Wan, Yoda, the whole galaxy ... because of him!!  
  
"My beautiful, dear daughter," he found himself speaking in a ghostly voice. He had no idea where his words came from. "Don't blame yourself for your bitterness, for your ugly feelings towards me. They're my fault, they're a consequence of my actions, a reflection of what I was, of what I did. You're paying the price for my crimes. But you still remain clean, despite everything I put you through. Believe me because it's the truth! You'll release those ugly feelings and you'll leave them behind when you set free the love you feel inside and when you allow our love for you to touch you. Believe my words, for I'm talking from my own experience. Don't be afraid to open that most intimate part of your soul. There's no need to be afraid anymore. No one will hurt you now. And the reward you'll receive will be a balm that will heal all your wounds. Luke, Solo ... all your friends are already living deep within that place inside you. Trust your feelings and you'll see how simple and beautiful it is. As for myself ..." He made an ironic face, full of self-contempt. "Fear not. I won't pressure you. I'll stay away from you until you want me to. I'll wait all the time necessary until you're ready. And if by then you realize you just can't forgive, I'll respect your decision." His chin began trembling and the tears ran freely down his cheeks. He had to leave here. Right away! "If you'll excuse me now, I must retire before I ... I ..." Anakin pushed his chair backwards and he stood up so brusquely the chair fell to the floor with a loud clang. His feelings were in a turmoil. He was about to break down and he needed a safe place to go through this privately.  
  
Luke stood up too, a heartbeat after his father. He was feeling so much pain coming from him it felt as if he was having a heart attack. He was terrified, but his feelings of protection overruled everything. Anakin had to understand his sister's feelings would pass and one day, love would fill everything. It would be good and bright!  
  
"Father!" he exclaimed, grabbing Anakin's forearm.  
  
Luke's touch focused Anakin again. His son's loving touch flowed through his skin and right along his nerves, reaching his broken, bleeding heart. The child's fierce, unconditional love reminded him of that steady, constant rock he could lean on, and Anakin clung to it like a dying man to his final chance of staying alive and sane. He closed his eyes and some measure of peace returned to his features.  
  
"I'll be all right, Son. Don't worry about me. I just can't face you right now. I'm too ashamed. I'll leave you alone so you can talk and enjoy each other's company." He smiled weakly.  
  
"But ...!" Luke protested. He was aching for his father.  
  
"I need to be alone for a little while. Respect my wishes, if only this time. Please," Anakin begged, bringing up his hand and cradling Luke's cheek in it, as he had done in the Death Star.  
  
Luke didn't want to let his father go. He wanted to be beside him and comfort him. But Leia needed him too, and he felt torn.  
  
"She needs you more than I do. I can deal with this. I have no choice. My past will return to haunt me for as long as I live. I'd better start accepting it as soon as possible." He sent through their mental link.  
  
Luke put up his own hand and covered his father's.  
  
"The worst is over now, Father. She needed this release to purge all the negative feelings that were rotting inside her. I did it too. From now on, everything will be better, you'll see. She'll come to love you as much as I do. She already does! That's why she's acting like this. It's years of pain and disappointments talking. Fear of deception and further pain. You can feel it, can't you?"  
  
"Yes, I can. That's the only thing that gives me hope to go on. I don't understand what I ever did to deserve a second chance. But having your love is a treasure I'll protect and cherish until my last breath. I'll devote my life not to hurt you and disappoint you ever again. I swear it!"  
  
"You could never hurt or disappoint us, Father. Please, stay! We've got to help her bring that wall down. Let's start now, together."  
  
"My presence here is hurting her, Luke. You stay and help her. You'll do it better than me. You know I'm right."  
  
Very reluctantly, Luke admitted the fact. But he wasn't through with his father yet.  
  
"I'll go to you when you need me. You know that."  
  
Anakin smiled tenderly and his thumb wiped away Luke's tear tracks.  
  
"I do know. And I will be alright. Thank you, my son." Anakin let his hand slip from Luke's cheek, finding the hardest thing to part from his caring, soothing eyes and from the cozy, healing warmth of his love. He bent down and picked up his chair from the floor. A part of it had broken and he placed the loose piece on the table.  
  
"I'm sorry about the chair," he said with a crooked smile. "Good evening." He bowed his head politely and with quiet steps, he left the room.  
  
"I love you!" Luke sent to his father's retreating figure. It was so easy to say the words in his mind that they came out of their own volition. It was the first time in his life he actually said ... well, thought the words out loud. He felt himself being infused with that blessed, all- encompassing feeling. It was so exhilarating and soulfilling! He had waited all his life to say these words to his father!  
  
An infinitely grateful mental caress and a deep shudder of his father's big frame was Anakin's overwhelmed answer before the doors closed behind him.  
  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED... 


	2. A New Life Part 3

A New Life (Part 3)  
  
  
  
Luke stood looking at the closed doors for a while before sighing loudly and sitting down again. He called upon the Force for balance and when he had managed to compose himself once more, he reached out across the table and took Leia's hand in his own. Han's arm was lovingly wrapped around her shoulders now.  
  
"Are you all right, honey?" he gently asked her.  
  
"Yes," Leia nodded eagerly, clasping her brother's fingers. She still was a bit breathless. "As a matter of fact, I feel better now that I've felt in quite some time. I guess I needed this more badly than I thought!"  
  
Han smiled.  
  
"We all need to vent our feelings once in a while. You've needed to take this off your chest for a very long time. I'm sure you feel as good as new now!"  
  
Leia arched her eyebrows as she realized it was indeed true.  
  
No one said anything for a long time. They were digesting everything that had happened in that room. They were too moved, too keyed-up; their agitated feelings wouldn't settle down. Finally, Lando broke the silence.  
  
"The more I know that man the more I am convinced he deserves a second chance. The way he behaves ... so gently ... It seems impossible to believe he was the monster the Alliance's been fighting against for so many years! It's so confusing you don't know how to take it!" he shook his head in awe. "I hope he will be reprieved. He's caused much harm, but he's paid for it more than any of us. He degraded himself to a level beyond any human comprehension. He's entitled to make up for all the evil he's done. Any life is precious and if he ever saves one single life after this, then we'll have done something good here."  
  
Chewie roared, wholeheartedly agreeing with Lando. He had been silent most of the time, witnessing his friends' exchange, and he had come long ago to an unmovable decision. Anakin was good. To him, it was that simple. He had forgiven Anakin sincerely and he would support him forever.  
  
Han and Luke stared at each other for a moment, sharing their worry about the suddenly introspective Princess.  
  
"And what do you say?" the Corellian softly asked her.  
  
Leia smiled ironically as she played with her brother's fingers, looking down at their clasped hands.  
  
"After the speech I just gave, do you still want me to say more? I thought I had made myself clear."  
  
"And you did," Luke reassured her. "But I have the feeling you still have a lot of things inside you that need to be dealt with. Many doubts and questions." He shrugged. "If you want to ask me anything, I'll do my best to answer."  
  
Leia remained silent for a while, shaking her head and taking long, deep breaths occasionally, not knowing where to begin. At last, she came up with something she could articulate.  
  
"It's just that ... I envy you. All of you. You have been able to forgive him, accept what he did and what he is now and you're already moving on. And I'm stuck with my feelings. Unable to move away from them, neither backward or forward. I can't forgive and I can't forget. And I guess ..." She took a deep breath again, plucking up the courage to admit the ugly truth. "I guess I feel resentful towards you for not feeling the way I do. I've been left behind." She sighed, dejected. "But it's more than that. I feel ... bad because of it."  
  
"You're not bad!" Han almost chided her, gently shaking her shoulders. "We're all different people and we react in different ways."  
  
"But in this case, you've all reacted the same way. Why can't I?", she painfully asked them, raising her eyes to them.  
  
Luke's eyes filled with love and understanding.  
  
"You know why, Leia. You've had to remain strong for all of us. As one of the Alliance's leaders, you've had to harden yourself to face the weight of the life and death decisions you had to make. You not only had to mind your own feelings, but ours too. Our pain, our problems, our losses. You couldn't afford to be soft or lenient about many things. And now you're paying the price for carrying that burden. But we all know the real Leia. The caring, loving person, full of love and compassion who would die for any of us, who would sacrifice her life for the greater good. That person is there, although you can't see her right now. We all know her. She's here with us now. Vulnerable and frightened, needing help. You need more time to forgive our father, that's all. You know how much he loves you ... and you know how much you love him. You know how much you want to love him. But you can't bring yourself to do it because you can't shake the idea of who he was off your mind."  
  
Leia met her brother's gaze, awed that he could read her so completely. Her eyes filled with tears and her chin began trembling in a sign of impending crying.  
  
"I know what's happening to you," Luke went on with infinite gentleness. He reached out and took her chin in his hand. His voice was soothing and caring, like a balm to Leia's soul. "It would be easier for you if Vader were here. That way you could face him and tell him everything that's boiling inside you. You could blame him, scream at him and release your anger at him. But there's only Anakin Skywalker here now and that fact renders your anger useless. You hate Vader and love Anakin. But they're the same person and you can't love him and hate him at the same time. You can't decide what to do and the conflict is tearing you apart."  
  
Leia felt as if Luke was reading her mind. But she knew he wasn't. He was acting on instinct now, and he couldn't be more right. She lowered her head and the tears rolled down her face.  
  
Han shook his head in despair. He didn't know what to do to comfort her. He felt helpless. He bent forward and kissed her temple and her hair several times. Leia cuddled up to him.  
  
Luke wiped her tears away with the back of his fingers and smiled at her with so much love he thought he would burst.  
  
"How do you do it?" she asked after a while. She spoke so weakly they could barely hear her. She raised her teary eyes up to her brother's and asked him with frenzied desperation. "How can you see past what he did to you, to all of us, to millions of people?" There was a blending of awe and desperate need to understand in her voice.  
  
Luke looked up at the ceiling with a deep sigh. He bit his lower lip, praying he could make himself be understood. After a few seconds of gathering his thoughts about him, he faced his sister openly.  
  
"I don't know. It's the way I am, I suppose. But it hasn't always been like this. After Bespin, I went through the same process you're undergoing right now. You know how very close to insanity I was. At the time, I was convinced there was no remaining goodness in him anymore. If he had been able to do what he did, there couldn't be." He looked away, lost in those terrifying memories. "I still don't know how I survived. You were there beside me, picking up my pieces and refusing to give up on me, staying with me during those nights of sheer horror. And when the worst passed, I was able to start thinking again. I began recognizing the signs ..." His lost gaze returned to his friends. He needed to sort out his thoughts properly, so there couldn't be any misunderstandings. "I remembered how he had called me 'young one', in that disconcerting, patronizing way ... But I suddenly thought there was an undercurrent of ... I don't know how to put it ... something twistedly fatherly there, perhaps? At first I thought I had gone crazy. Now that I had found out my father was alive, I was so desperate to have him I was seeing what I wanted to see, clinging to any presumed sign of humanity in him. But then, more and more details surfaced. How he had refused to kill me and had offered me a place beside him in the Empire. Together! That was the key for me. He wanted me beside him, to 'rule the galaxy as father and son', and I'm quoting him. And then ..." Luke bit his lips, searching for the oh-so-elusive words. "Just then, something told me he could be redeemed. He was supposed to kill me right then and there when I refused to join him. But he let me escape instead. He had to ..." he rolled his eyes in a most expressive gesture. "... 'care' about me enough to risk his master's displeasure, maybe even his anger, at his failure. Maybe he did it for a completely different reason. I may never know. But I felt I was his only weak spot and as such, I was morally and humanly bound to try and bring him back, even if it cost me my life." His eyes turned to Lando, with a depth and an intensity as the man had never seen. "As you said, any life is precious. And to me, my father's life is beyond price! He had fought for what was good and right once, he had saved millions of lives when he had been a Jedi Knight. He had loved our mother." His eyes misted helplessly at the mention of her. "There had to be some trace of that love inside him. And I had to help him find it. I was so focused on what I knew I had to do, I guess I forgot any other implication. I never considered I could be wrong and my good intentions could backfire on me. But there are moments when you have to stop thinking and follow your instincts." His eyes met Leia's and they were ablaze with passion. "Everybody told me he was evil and I had to destroy him. But I couldn't destroy one single life as long as it was possible to spare it. I found that out after I killed hundreds of thousands of people in the first Death Star. At that moment, I also became a mass murderer, just like Vader. I also left orphans, widowed and broken families behind me." He quoted his sister on purpose to emphasize his point.  
  
Leia's eyes opend wide in sheer horror as the meaning of Luke's words dawned on her, and Han immediately opened his mouth to protest, but Luke raised his hand to stop him, already knowing what he was going to say.  
  
"All right, all right. I realize there's more here than meets the eye. I wasn't a monster like Vader was. I've never killed for pleasure. Our morals were absolutely opposite. I didn't make of murder a way of life, wiping out anyone who stood in my way. But I did commit mass murder, there's no denying that. It's an objective fact. My point is that what you do, is not what you are. Not always, not completely. Somewhere along the line, our father lost himself, and to such a degree we can't even begin to understand. He completely lost track of his humanity, or maybe something happened that made him jump past those morals. Something so inconcievably terrible he didn't care what he did or where he ended up afterwards. Maybe he was pushed to some extreme limit he just didn't care anymore. We can't judge him. We're not inside him and we don't know what chain of events pushed him to make such a terrible decision. Maybe when he got to that point, there was no decision to make anymore, he found out he had already crossed the line." He took a deep breath and went on, calmer now. "We know it's not that simple. We've seen too much to know things are not just black or white. People are not only 'good' or 'bad'. There are infinite shades of grey, as Lando said. But evil is there. Good people can go astray if the circumstances take them to some intolerable point for too long. We all have the potential to become like Vader", his face darkened suddenly, "believe me, I know what I'm talking about! But he's got the right to turn back. We're bound to give him the opportunity to redeem himself, to help rebuild what he helped to destroy. These are the principles the Alliance is founded on. That's what I have learnt from Mon Mothma."  
  
Luke's eyes stared at each of his friends, looking for any reaction to his words. He hoped he had been able to successfully convey all the thoughts and feelings in his mind and his heart. They all remained silent for a while, letting his words sink in. Finally, Han reached out and gratefully squeezed Luke's forearm. He had indeed helped him to sort out some loose ends inside him. Everything seemed more confusing than ever now, but somehow, Luke had cleared the way for all of them. He felt much better now. About himself and about everything.  
  
"Thanks, kid. There aren't straight answers or absolute truths here, we know that, just approximations, but what you've just said, makes a lot of sense."  
  
"Yes, it does," Leia agreed, raising her eyes to her brother. They looked less haunted how, more at peace. "But I still don't know how to cope with my feelings. How can I face him? How can I stop feeling so divided about him?"  
  
Luke smiled softly and squeezed her fingers.  
  
"Give yourself time. Stretch out with your feelings. Pay attention to your sensations when you're around him and when you think about him. Sometimes, your head only causes you more trouble and messes everything around. I found out only feelings hold the real answers in these cases. Don't force yourself. Let the answers come to you. I'll teach you some basic meditation techniques that will help you focus", he suddenly arched his eyebrows, "which reminds me I have to start training you in the ways of the Force!"  
  
Leia didn't say anything for a few seconds. She seemed to be listening to some inner voice. But then, her eyes came alive.  
  
"Yes, you're right. I have to find the answers for myself." She looked at them with her eyes bright, in a sudden shift of her mood. "But I need to take a break, if only for tonight, or my head will explode." She smiled with a true, genuine smile, that infused her friends with renewed hope and optimism. Everything was going to be alright, that was what Leia's smile promised. "It's very late. I suggest we retire and get some sleep."  
  
At her words, everybody looked at the chrono and they realized it indeed was quite late. They nodded assent. Chewie stood up first and stretched his long frame. He felt quite stiff after the heavy exertion and the brutal tension his body had endured in today's battle. After some sore spots had eased up, he reached out and placed his big hand on Leia's shoulder and growled some words at her.  
  
"Thank you, Chewie. I'll try," she answered, patting the hairy hand.  
  
"Take your time, Princess. No hurry," Lando reinforced his words by reaching his hand across the table and grasping Leia's wrist. "We're doing a good job here, I can feel it. I may not be Force sensitive, but I've got some good vibrations of my own about the whole thing. Everything'll turn out right." He stood up and grabbed his tray.  
  
Leia smiled at him, gratefully.  
  
While Lando and Chewie disposed of the leftovers of their food, Luke and Han remained sitting at the table, still in need of reassuring her further.  
  
"Are you sure you want to retire?" Luke asked her gently. "We could talk some more in your room, if you want. I know from my own experience what it's like to be alone with your mind in the middle of the night. You start to turn things over in your head and your thoughts won't leave you alone."  
  
Leia looked at him with another disarming smile. She knew very well what her brother was talking about.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll be fine. After today's workout, I'll fall asleep as soon as I lie down. That's the only good aftereffect about going into battle. I always sleep like a log afterwards. Besides, 2-1B told me to take a mild painkiller for the night, in case my arm starts bothering me. So, I can guarantee nothing will wake me up." She pointed at Luke with her forefinger. "You need to have a good night's sleep more than I do, if you want to be sharp and keep your wits about you for tomorrow's meeting with Mon Mothma. We'll talk later, when all this is over."  
  
Luke nodded slowly, knowing his sister was right. He needed a good rest if he wanted to be ready for tomorrow's nerve-racking meeting with their leader. But even more important than that, he knew Leia was being sincere about herself. Their talk had truly helped her. It would be alright to leave her alone for the night. Although he suspected she wouldn't spend the night alone. Han would take good care of her.  
  
As one, the three stood up with their trays, and in a single file, they got rid of their leftovers. Chewie and Lando were waiting for them and the group left the mess together, heading for their rooms. Once in the corridor, they turned to each other and they hugged goodnight. It was good to feel the warmth of their friends' bodies reassuring them of their living presence. They treasured that feeling of comfort and belonging after being so close to losing it forever. Curiously, none of them could help a look at Anakin's door before entering their quarters.  
  
  
  
Luke sat down on his bed and blew all the air in his lungs. It had been even more trying than he had thought. Leia's pain and torment had reverberated inside him and had torn him apart. But he had done his very best to soothe her conflict and make her understand, and he thought he had succeeded. He had put many of her heartbreaking doubts and qualms at ease. He could identify with his sister at so many levels! Her principles and morals were so deep-seated, so strong and right as he had never seen, and he admired her more than he thought possible. But she was always open to other points of view. She never shied away from new and disturbing questions with uneasy answers. The way she had faced and accepted those shades of grey both in herself and in her family, awed him. There were many things to admire in Leia Organa. More and more.  
  
He had always known, but now he was certain beyond anything, that everything was going to turn out right. This family would survive, they would help the Alliance to rebuild the Republic and they would help to make of this galaxy a place where every single being could grow and reach their full potential freely and safely. They would do their very best to compensate everybody for their losses and make certain that no one's, absolutely no one's pain, and sacrifices weren't recognized and honoured.  
  
Their task had just begun. And his father would be essential in the reconstruction of the Republic, he knew it. He had so much to give! The Alliance had to see that. They couldn't allow such a brilliant person to rot in a brig for life. The mere thought brought him to a frenzy of panic. No, not his father! Not now when he had a chance to redeem himself, when he could help to heal the wounds between the Empire and the Alliance. There was so much to do and Anakin was so desperate to help, to be a part of it!  
  
No, no! Luke cast aside the spiral of negative thoughts and looked for peace and calm. He had to think positive, concentrate on the Light. He took off his slippers and his top and sat on the centre of his bed, in a cross-legged position. He infused his mind with love and peace. With Light and calmness. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander aimlessly, wherever it wished to go. His father filled his thoughts almost immediately.  
  
His mind had never left his father alone after he had left the mess. He had been ready to leave as soon as he felt his father breaking down past the point he had reached before they had met for supper. He had respectfully stayed away from his father's consciousness then, but he had felt such strong emanations of grief, distress and torment, he had been about to throw all his scruples to the wind and barge into his father's room to comfort him. But right after, Anakin had brought himself under control almost instantaneously, and a wave of exulting exhilaration and ensuing peace had descended upon him. He had successfully begun his spiritual and emotional cleansing. It was a process that would last forever, Luke was painfully aware of that, but he hadn't forgotten his promise. Not for a minute! He wasn't going to let his father go through this neverending agony alone. There was no way he could truly help his father, but if only by holding his hand, offering him a shoulder to cry on, or the loving embrace of his son, he would do his very best to help his father to carry the burden of his crimes whenever the memory of them became too much to bear.  
  
When Anakin had wisely left them alone in the mess, a part of Luke's mind had been permanently focused on his father, making sure of his state of mind once he found himself alone in his room. But Anakin had held himself together, perhaps a bit too brutally. He had immediately sought solace in the Force. He had begun meditating and that way, through the loving, all- encompassing warmth of the Light, he had managed to hang on.  
  
Luke smiled with the clean, innocent smile of a little child. His father was a part of the Light again! It felt so good, so right! Father and Son, belonging together as it should have always been! The dream he had foolishly cherished since he had found out Darth Vader was his father, had come true! There they were, the two of them, together at last! Only the Alliance's pardon remained to realize this beautiful dream completely. He had to be ready to try and convince Mon Mothma. He had to think of the right approach, the right words to say. His father's life stood in the balance, because Anakin's freedom was Anakin's very life. And Luke knew his own life also depended on the Alliance's decision.  
  
Luke opened his eyes with a shudder. He had slipped too much into melodramatism. That scenario was highly unlikely, if not impossible. The Alliance was made of reasonable, pragmatical people. They would do the human, right thing. He was virtually certain of that.  
  
With a tired sigh, he looked at the chrono. He arched his eyebrows in surprise when he realized an hour had already passed. He decided to put an end to his meditation and take a good night of good old sleep instead. The bed looked too inviting, cozy and comfortable to refuse it. He uncrossed his legs and opened the covers without getting off the bed. Once inside and when he was beginning to pull up the sheets, he felt a warm tingle in his mind. His father was very near. He grinned helplessly.  
  
Right then, his doorbell buzzed.  
  
"Come in," he answered the call.  
  
The door opened and Anakin slowly moved inside his son's room, looking endearingly bashful. He was still wearing the same silly clothes, several sizes smaller than his.  
  
"Hi, Father!" the boy greeted him happily, holding back a snigger. He couldn't believe the unconceivable joy that filled his heart to bursting with just saying hello to his father. He suspected he would never stop feeling like this. He had cried and longed too much for it. Ahhh, he had fantasized about mundane things like this for as long as he could remember!  
  
"Hello, Son." Anakin looked around the room with too much curiosity, remarkably avoiding eye contact. "I ... uhmm... I just came to say goodnight properly to you. I felt you were still awake and ... that is ..."  
  
Luke didn't bother to hide his delighted chuckle.  
  
"Come on, Father. It's me! Your son, Luke Skywalker. Another Jedi like you. I can also read minds and all that mumbo-jumbo. I can see through lies ... even little prevarications like yours."  
  
Anakin blushed and looked down. At that moment, his face didn't seem older than his son's.  
  
"If you need my company, I think that's very fortunate, because I also happen to need yours. You're always welcome in my room. I want to make that point very clear, in case you still need to hear the words!"  
  
Anakin met his eyes, still a bit shy, realizing his childish behaviour. But then he let out a short laugh and walked up to Luke's bed. The boy patted the empty spot directly in front of him and Anakin gratefully flopped down on it.  
  
"Thank you, Son. I do need your company. But I'll only stay for a little while. We both need a good night's rest."  
  
"Nervous?" Luke prompted, conversationally.  
  
Anakin sighed and looked away.  
  
"More and more with each passing minute." He turned his head and met Luke's eyes. "Maybe that's why I want to spend as much time with you as possible. After tomorrow, we might not have the chance anymore."  
  
"You're oozing optimism, I see!" Luke gently chided him.  
  
Anakin pursed his lips ironically.  
  
"I've always believed in being prepared. That way, if the worst happens, it won't take me by surprise."  
  
"And you'll be surprised as hell if the best happens!" Luke pointed out.  
  
Anakin smiled and tilted his head.  
  
"You're always ready for good things," he shrugged.  
  
"True," Luke agreed. "But then, you'll have missed a good night's sleep unnecessarily."  
  
Anakin laughed. Luke's wise practicality made him feel once again like the impatient, too often defeatist, padawan he had been. But with Luke it was all so different! Luke didn't patronize him and he didn't keep himself always a little step away from him, as he had felt Obi-Wan do in their master-padawan relationship. Luke had simply pointed out a trait in his personality in his usual carefree and so very refreshing way. Obi-Wan told him he always focused on the negative, and he was right. And it was a weakness Palpatine and the Dark Side took good advantage of. But may it be good or bad, it was a part of what made him who he was, just like his height or the colour of his hair. And yet, Luke didn't make him feel flawed or uncomfortable for it. He simply acknowledged the fact fondly, and he offered him his own strength and optimism in return to balance it. He stared at his boy, in awe. He couldn't help but think once more how good they were to each other, how perfectly they complemented one another. He already felt better and stronger, just basking in his son's healthy invigorating aura.  
  
"I admire you, Luke," he said, impulsively. "I was your age when I turned and ... I see now I wasn't, not even remotely, as mature as you are. Everything that has turned out right in your training, failed with me. I was at fault." He looked away again. He could feel the bitter taste of failure on his tongue. "I blamed Obi-Wan, the circumstances, people's attitude that made me feel inadequate and foolish, the war, the losses ... but I never blamed the only one who was truly to blame: Anakin Skywalker." He made a long pause. "And to some degree, I still feel like that young misfit, out of place and awkward. It's as if no time at all had elapsed. Right now I feel as if I was your age."  
  
"In a way, you are," Luke replied softly. "You were my age when you turned. Right at that moment, you ceased to be the misfit you said you felt like, plagued with feelings of inadequacy and failure, and became a murderer with no past. You became a whole new person. You erased from your thoughts everything you had been before, everything that, in your opinion, had made you weak and flawed, and focused on what was to come. You only lived for the Empire, your master and your own bloodthirst. Now that Anakin Skywalker is back, it makes sense to me that you feel as if you were my age. You still have to reintegrate your entire personality, after so many years of ruthlessly subduing a big part of you."  
  
Anakin listened to Luke's words intently, and he nodded in agreement.  
  
"You're right. I've completely bridged the gap of time between the time I turned and today. It's as if my mind wanted to delete from its memory all the years I was Vader. It's shrinking from what I was and the atrocities I committed. It can't cope with it. Maybe I'll need professional help."  
  
Luke gazed at his father compassionately.  
  
"But there are some things a professional wouldn't understand about me. He would never get the whole picture," Anakin suddenly realized.  
  
"You mean the whole Force thing and how does it work in harmony with the mind?"  
  
Anakin nodded absently, lost somewhere in his mind.  
  
Luke reached out and grasped his father's wrist. His touch brought Anakin back immediately.  
  
"I will help you in any way I can. Until we train Leia, I'm the only one who really understands how you feel. I know I can't possibly have the slightest idea about some of the things you've experienced and gone through, but I'm here, Father. You're never alone. Remember that. And if I'm not enough, you can always ask for professional help. They'll help the man, I'll help the Jedi." He ended up with a disarming smile.  
  
Anakin's eyes regarded his son, in wonder. Everything seemed so easy at his child's side! He covered Luke's hand with his own.  
  
"How can you have such faith in me, Luke? I feel so frail right now ..."  
  
"Because I know what's in here," Luke tapped his father's chest with his fingertips. "This is a most stressful time for you. You're racking your brains with worry and apprehension about the meeting with Mon Mothma, and it's not helping you at all to cope with your shaky state of mind. It'll pass when this situation's over tomorrow."  
  
"For the best?" Anakin let out his question like a little child, desperately wanting to believe the miracle was possible, but too afraid to hope at he same time.  
  
Luke nodded, with all the certainty he was able to muster.  
  
"For the best. I know the Alliance. I've been a part of it for over 4 years now. I believe in it and in its ideals with all my heart. Locking you up is useless, a waste of your potential, your wisdom, your knowledge, your experiences ... You have a lot to give. We have a lot to learn from you. We could benefit from each other. It's a matter of common sense. It will turn out fine, Father."  
  
"I pray you're right, Son". Anakin closed his eyes and shook his head, as if he could make their wishful thinking come true with the power of his faith. "But if I'm convicted for life, I don't want you to endanger your position in the Alliance on my behalf. You'll accept Mon Mothma's decision without question. I want you to promise that to me now, or I won't accompany you to the meeting tomorrow."  
  
"What?!" Luke's eyes opened like two saucers at the non-sequitur, but he recovered amazingly fast. "You can't seriously expect me to promise such a thing! You wouldn't agree to this blackmail if our positions were reversed. It's completely out of the question, Father! I'll try to convince her for all I'm worth, I won't stop until she realizes it makes no sense locking up someone who doesn't represent a threat to anyone anymore. She's never acted out of revenge or ill-feelings, she's never bent to outward pressures. I'm counting on her integrity and understanding both as a person and as a leader. If she decides to lock you up, she'll have to argue her decision in a way that sounds convincing. And I tell you, right here and now, that there's no way she will EVER convince me of the convenience or the necessity of locking you up for the rest of your life. That's why, deep down, I know she'll support your pardon. It's the only logical decision!"  
  
Anakin smiled tenderly at his son. Luke's face was flushed and his eyes shone with passion and vehemence. The proof he had involuntarily received of just how very far his son was ready to go in his defence touched him so deeply his entire body ached with an overwhelming feeling of love and gratitude, so powerful he thought he wouldn't survive it. He couldn't be worthy of such love! But he knew Luke's integrity and he also counted on it. He grasped his son's hands in his own and faced him, calmly and serenely.  
  
"My son, you're a soldier. You've had to go into battle many times. You've lost many good friends because you were aware that no matter how much you cared about them, there was a greater good to protect that was far above one single life, it didn't matter how precious that life was to you. This time is no different just because it is my life. You know your duty, and you will obey your leader's decision, whatever it turns out to be. You know I'm right. That's what the upright, honest Luke who brought me back from the Dark Side would do. And he will."  
  
Luke's eyes were ablaze as they met his father's during the few seconds his speech had lasted. But, in the end, the young man's gaze dropped in defeat. Anakin had won this time. Never mind his heart had broken into a billion tiny pieces. He knew his father was right. He would do his duty. Although, if the worst happened and his father was convicted for life, they would have taken from him all the reasons why he had joined the Alliance. He would have nothing left to believe in. A helpless tear rolled down his cheek.  
  
Anakin reached out and wiped the solitary tear away with the back of his forefinger.  
  
"Will you?" he asked.  
  
Biting his lower lip in a heartbreaking display of vulnerability, Luke nodded.  
  
"Good!" Anakin's heart was bursting with love and pride. "But we will worry about that possibility should it ever arise. That's what I've learnt from you. From my bright boy!" He ruffled Luke's hair, knowing the gesture would make his son smile. It had become something very special between them in the short time they had been together as father and son. It worked. Luke's eyes raised up to his and he smiled poignantly at him. Anakin smiled back, aching all over.  
  
"There's so much to talk about, so much to say ..." Luke whispered, out of the blue.  
  
"I know," Anakin said.  
  
"I understand you so well now ... I think I can understand some of the reasons why you turned."  
  
"Can you?" Anakin smiled sadly, looking away, not really wanting to talk about it right now. Especially after the brutal moment they had just endured. But he also understood Luke's need to talk about as many things as possible ... tonight. He took a long breath, begging he could survive this.  
  
"There were so many frustrations in your life ... You were impatient, quick-tempered, restless, and instead of explanations, patience and understanding, you only got discipline. You needed a different approach in your training, you needed to find your own space, your own path to follow and you only found rules and regulations. Your heart was bleeding with many wounds, many unanswered questions, torn ... you were hurting for too long, until you finally found a release from all your frustrations by venting all the anger you had accumulated. Hatred, anger and destruction can be cathartic, I know that. But there's no turn back once you've abandoned yourself to them."  
  
Anakin closed his eyes slowly. He felt dizzy, almost drugged. The way his son could read his very soul broke his heart apart. He hadn't felt so in touch with another being for so long ... It was so beautiful to have someone reaching out to him, understanding him, caring about him ... Such a precious miracle to have love in his life again! Blessed boy! His love was healing scars that had hurt so deep no one had ever been able to heal. This boy understood him until the last corner of his tormented spirit. He was as close to him as only another Force sensitive could be. Even closer, because it was his son. His son! He gave his deepest thanks to every deity in the universe for being granted such a benediction.  
  
"You're partially right." He managed to answer. "Although not completely. It was nobody's fault but my own that I turned. Nobody pointed a blaster at my head and forced me to turn. I did it willingly, I made the conscious decision to follow the Dark path." His eyes turned to his son's. They were ablaze with a myriad of burning feelings. "Look at us. We've endured the same frustrations for most of our lives, we've both longed for a person we couldn't have at that moment. We've both been hurt, we've suffered terribly brutal losses. We've gone through practically the same life experiences. And yet, I turned and you didn't. Which proves beyond any doubt to me that one's background is not determinant of that person's future. I'm the only one responsible for what I did. I can't use the excuse of how much I suffered in my lifetime or that Obi-Wan didn't understand me or didn't pay enough attention to me when I needed it. It's unfair and untrue. I failed and that's all there is to it." He stared at his son, infinitely grateful for his support and neverending understanding. "Face it, Son. Your father is far from perfect. I'm the living example of what a person should never do, of a path that should never be followed."  
  
Luke shook his head stubbornly. He wanted to say so many things he didn't know where to start.  
  
"You deserve all the credit for bringing me back. You fought for me, you didn't give up on me, not even when you saw Darth Vader had given up on Anakin Skywalker. You risked your life for me, out of blind faith. And here we are now. Together." He reached out one trembling hand and cradled Luke's cheek in it, caressing it lovingly with his thumb. It felt so good to be a father! It had to be the most overwhelming, beautiful, all- encompassing feeling in the world! It filled him with peace and belonging. This boy came from him, he was a part of him. The best part of him! "How did you know, Son?" he suddenly rasped out. "How could you see the Light in me, when I thought I had exorcised it from me years ago?"  
  
Luke smiled a bit self-deprecatorily and took his father's hand in his own from his cheek. He shrugged.  
  
"I don't know. Just instinct, I guess. Everybody told me it was futile, that everything you had done for the last 20 years spoke for itself. That if I tried to turn you back, you would destroy me or you would use that weakness to turn me to the Dark Side. But I just couldn't give up! You had been good once, you had loved and had been part of the Light. You knew how it was, how it felt. You couldn't have purged it all from you. Something had to remain. Maybe it had lurked so deep inside you that you had forgotten it was there. Your memories, the happiness you had known with mum." He shook his head, trying to clear his mind from the overwhelming emotion. "I couldn't believe you had renounced all that just for the sterile sake of greed and power. The little child in me reached out to his father for all he was worth, and a heartbeat later, all of me followed him blindly. I had no choice. The alternative was killing you. And that was never an option for me. If I had killed you, I would have soiled myself beyond redemption. I would have turned then, for certain." He let out a bitter smile. "How ironic! What everybody thought was the only possible choice for me, killing you, was exactly what I mustn't have done. You were my price. You always were. Palpatine never understood that in sparing your life, I had saved us both, no matter the final outcome." Luke's eyes opened wide, realizing right then and there just how true his words were.  
  
Anakin's chin trembled and his eyes filled with tears. He felt as if Luke's words were clean, pure water that had completed the cleansing of his tainted soul. There was so much wisdom in those words!  
  
"And I was about to condemn you forever, Son. I can't forget that." He looked away and gritted his teeth against the unbearable thought. "When I think about all the harm I caused you and your sister ... Everything your sister's going through now, is my fault. You were separated from each other and raised separately, never knowing the other existed, you never knew your mother, your sister had to live with her loss ... I am responsible for all that. For Leia's anger, her ambivalent feelings towards me that are tearing her apart. I'm making her feel bad and I don't know how to help her. I don't know what to do. There's nothing I can do!" He pursed his lips in helpless frustration, wishing he could change it all back. But he couldn't. He had to live with that knowledge. The knowledge of having hurt his children far more than any other person in their lives, of having been their bloodiest enemy for over 4 years and being a burden to them now. The spiral of guilt and shame swept him away and Anakin felt like falling ... falling ...  
  
'Don't, Father', Luke intruded upon his thoughts, bringing a soothing calm and a shining light with his mere presence in his mind. 'You're making the same mistake Vader did, only the other way round. Vader put the blame on everyone but him, and Anakin's blaming himself for everything. The truth has to be somewhere in between, don't you think? Who knows what would have happened if you hadn't turned? Maybe you and mum would have died during the Clone Wars and Leia and I would have ended up on Alderaan and Tatooine all the same. There are infinite possibilities, some of them far worse than what ended up happening. We could have been a happy family too ... we'll never know. This is the reality we're living in and we have to accept it. I, for one, couldn't have wished for a happier ending. I got you back, my friends have forgiven you, and Leia also will.'  
  
Anakin tried to say something, but Luke didn't let him start.  
  
'She will forgive you because the love in her heart is too big. She's feeling torn because she hates Vader and loves Anakin. But her love will win in the end, because hatred is a dead end, and my sister is no fool. She'll survive this test stronger and wiser. And so filled with love you're going to have your hands full of coddling children!', he teased, quite intentionally.  
  
Anakin let out a helpless laugh, despite himself. That was a prospect he was actually looking forward to! He wished! He reached out and dishevelled Luke's hair again, who giggled happily.  
  
'I pray you're right, Son. And that your sister will sort out her conflict as soon as possible. Not for me, but for herself. She's entitled to find peace once and for all, after all she's suffered.' His eyes became infinitely sad for a moment.  
  
Luke nodded, smiled at his father and squeezed his fingers. He stared down at their clasped hands for a while, fascinated by them. He had never been a person particularly prone to touch. He liked to touch his friends and he liked to be touched, when it happened, but that was all. He had never really thought much about it. To tell the truth, he had stopped thinking about it a long time ago. But today, everything had changed forever. It was as if a door that had always been closed, had suddenly opened wide. He realized they had been in physical contact throughout most of their conversation; since Anakin had sat down on his bed, practically. It had begun in the shuttle and ... no, it had begun before that, in the very throne room! Getting his father back had filled an emptiness so unfathomable inside him only now he was becoming aware of just how very deep it was. He felt as if an undiscovered part of him was blossoming through his father's love. Anakin was filling a need he didn't even know he had. How truly deprived of physical touch he had been. Anakin had opened Luke's heart even more. He felt more spiritual than ever, with an ever increasing need to touch those he loved, for mutual reassurance, because they were human beings, they loved each other and they needed to express their love through touch. He looked up and met his father's gaze, thanking him with all his heart for the new world he had helped him to uncover. Anakin smiled at him, and a little light kindled in his eyes.  
  
'You also need to find some peace of your own, Father', the young man sent in a silky mental voice, 'and we'll all help you to get it. After tomorrow's meeting is over, I'll start thinking of new ways to motivate you.'  
  
Anakin's eyebrows skyrocketed. He had used those words from time to time when threatening his officers. He didn't know whether Luke had used his exact words by chance or he had picked them up directly from his mind. The mischievous twinkle in Luke's eyes confirmed him it had been the latter.  
  
"You rascal!" he exclaimed out loud. He tickled Luke's side once with one finger. Luke's immediate jump was an irresistible temptation, and he started tickling his boy in earnest.  
  
Luke lay down in a foetal ball trying to get his upper body in the bed too, giggling and slapping his father's hands away, asking him to stop. It was then Anakin saw the patches scattered here and there all over Luke's torso. They were so similar to Luke's skin colour he had missed them up to that moment. The sight of them brutally brought him back to reality and he felt as if he had been kicked in his guts. He immediately stopped tickling Luke.  
  
Luke peered over his arm, to verify his father had really ceased his 'attack', or if it was just a trick for him to lower his defences and start tickling him again. Anakin looked very serious, so he gathered the attack was truly over.  
  
"See?" he boasted, letting his arms down. "It's a good sign we can joke about it already!" That was when he saw the new, sudden sadness in his father's eyes. He seemed to be staring at his body. Frowning, he looked down at himself. When he saw the patches, he sighed. Not again! He watched his father's grief-stricken expression and he made a decision. He respected and honoured his father's pain, but he couldn't allow him to keep on beating himself like that. Not for his son, when Luke had forgiven him with all his heart. Besides, he knew how self-destructive guilt could be. This had got to stop. He sat up so impulsively he bounced several times and he also made his father bounce on the bed with him. "I'll tell you what! You give me a credit every time your spirits go downhill, like just now. In a few months, you'll be either as happy as an Alderanian lark or completely broke!" He smiled teasingly from ear to ear.  
  
Anakin's stare slowly moved up from Luke's torso to his eyes. When he saw Luke's smiling face and his words registered, he smiled helplessly despite himself. Luke's smile, like his laughter, was infectious. And this one was downright hilarious. But still, his son's wounds were no joke. Not to him.  
  
"How can you dismiss this and joke about it?" Anakin pointed at his son's patches with a catch in his voice. "How can you dismiss everything I've done? To you and to so many people? I allowed you to suffer this attack ..."  
  
"You stopped Palpatine! You stopped him from killing me! At that moment, I forgot everything you could have done before. Don't you see?" Luke grasped Anakin's shoulders vehemently. "When you saved me, you gave me my father back. You gave me back all the dreams I had cherished all my life, all the hopes I didn't dare to hope. You gave me the gift of knowing I was right about you. That my dreams and hopes hadn't been in vain! Blessed these wounds are because they brought my father back! How could I not love you forever for it?" he shook his head and plunged ahead even further. "Give yourself some credit for your turn, Father! It was your decision! The same way you decided to cross the line and turn to the Dark Side, you renounced it and returned to the Light! The merit is all yours. Start believing in yourself! You have a lot to give. To the Alliance, to your children, to the entire galaxy. If you don't believe in your right to be reprieved, you won't convince Mon Mothma of the rightness of reprieving you tomorrow. Help me to help you! You know how useful you can be, you know how many lives you can save from now on, how much good you can do. Think about the glorious future that awaits us. Helping to rebuild the Republic, the Jedi Order, your own life, our family. It's quite a challenge, but you'll be up to it. My father's a very brave man. You're my hero and you'll snap out of this." He began shaking Anakin's shoulders back and forth. "So, I order you to stop beating yourself and get a grip!" he couldn't help finishing with a new explosion of humour. He knew very well of the therapeutic effects of humour. Indeed, where would he be without it? If there was something he had learnt throughout this merciless war, was not to take himself too seriously.  
  
Anakin gulped, making a funny noise with his throat. Luke's outpouring wasn't only verbal, but also mental. His son's pride and absolute faith in him, his absolute conviction that the Alliance HAD to reprieve him and his fierce love that went beyond anything he had ever thought to deserve, was imprinted in his soul by fire. For the first time, he saw himself through his son's eyes and what he saw in them made him feel worthy, truly worthy for the first time in over 20 years. If this wise, good and brilliant young man thought his father deserved a second chance, then he would believe him. Luke was right. If he doubted himself, it would be very difficult to convince the others. It was time to fight. For his children, for Padmé, for the memories of those who had ever believed in him, for all those who still could be proud of him ... one day. His Leia ...  
  
'Yes, Father. You understood at last!' Luke's triumphant voice resounded in his mind, full of joy. 'And do not fear. Leia will forgive you. Don't give up. Give her the chance to come to love you, to feel pride in you. Fight for her. Believe!'  
  
Anakin closed his eyes and nodded. He felt suddenly light-headed, as if Luke had just injected him a massive dose of faith and self-esteem.  
  
"Yes, Son. You're right, again. If I don't believe in myself, nobody will. It's time to move forward and leave the past behind. I can't change what I did, and it will haunt me for the rest of my life; but I can make a difference now and I will help in any way I can, if they'll let me."  
  
Luke's smile was radiant now. He squeezed his father's shoulders once and dropped his hands.  
  
"I'll never leave you alone, Father. Every time you feel yourself slipping, I'll be there. Everything will be easier if we help each other." He reached out with his hand. "Agreed?"  
  
Luke made it all sound so logical that Anakin held out his hand, just as formally, and shook his son's smaller hand, sealing the pact.  
  
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir!"  
  
The two raised their eyebrows, surprised at Anakin's reply, and next, they burst out laughing.  
  
"Good display of discipline! Nice one, Father!" Luke laughed.  
  
"I'm a Jedi. Discipline is my middle name!" Anakin replied.  
  
They laughed to their heart's content until they were breathless. They released a lot of pent up tension through their laughter. Anakin felt exultant and more alive than he could remember feeling. This boy was a balm to his torment and shame. He would be worthy of his expectations. He would make his son proud of him. And all those who had ever believed in him too. Even his Leia! It was then he realized he was slowly coming to Luke's hopeful belief. Maybe the Alliance would reprieve him. He didn't want to raise his hopes too high, but as long as the possibility existed, he would cling to it. He would cling to anything that made his son happy. With a relaxed sigh, he checked the time.  
  
"Well! I guess it's time for me to return to my room and give us both the chance to get some sleep," he reached out and messed his son's hair goodnight. "Sleep well, Son. And thank you, for everything."  
  
Luke smiled at him, just as contented and at peace as his father.  
  
"You're most welcome, Father, but there's no hurry. It'll take me quite a while to fall asleep. Unlike Leia, it takes me ages to fall asleep after a battle. I'm usually so keyed-up it takes me quite some time to settle down."  
  
Anakin pursed his lips, apparently in deep thought.  
  
"There's an old-fashioned technique to treat those symptoms. I've never attempted it before, but maybe I should give it a try now, just in case."  
  
"All right with me!" Luke lay down on his bed and rearranged the sheets, making himself comfortable. "Whenever you're ready!"  
  
Hiding his smile, Anakin moved over, until he rested his back on the headboard of his son's bed. He cleared his throat.  
  
"What's this technique called?" Luke asked, curiously.  
  
"Fairytale," Anakin was biting his lips by now to hold back his mirth.  
  
"I beg your pardon?!" Luke blinked, completely taken by surprise. He was clearly expecting some sort of Force technique or a massage, like those his father had used on him several times already.  
  
"Shut up and listen." Anakin held out his right arm and pretended to frame some invisible words in front of him between his thumb and forefinger, as he moved his arm from left to right while he spoke. "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away ..."  
  
"Oh, come on, Father!" Luke nudged Anakin's ribs with his elbow as he burst out giggling along with his father, who couldn't keep up his precarious straight façade anymore. "I'm too old for fairytales."  
  
To hear his son's laughter was like music to Anakin's ears, more so knowing he had caused that delighted laughter. Being a father was the most glorious feeling of all! He looked down at Luke's smiling face and his heart almost exploded with love and tenderness.  
  
"We'll never be too old for a fairytale, Son. It's never too late ... for anything. That's what you've taught me."  
  
Luke sobered and looked up at his father with an expression of sheer worship. Anakin smiled back at him and shifted his position on the bed again, until he was facing Luke.  
  
"But a fairytale would take some time to tell, and you need to sleep as much as possible. So, this time, I think this will be better." Anakin slowly reached out his forefinger and touched the place between his son's eyes, directly above his nose. Luke trustingly closed his eyes and relaxed fully. He thought he heard a soft whisper in his mind, but before he could grasp what the voice had said, he was sound asleep.  
  
Anakin stood up very carefully so as not to disturb his son's sleep and looked down at his boyish face. The few lines on his features had been completely smoothed away by sleep. Right then, he looked no older than 16. For a flying second, he thought he could see an 8 year old Luke, sleeping in his bed, holding a teddy bear. He felt a surge of love so immense it formed a lump in his throat. He ached all over. Impulsively, Anakin reached out and brushed away the fringe from his son's forehead.  
  
"Sweet dreams, my son. You deserve them." Anakin bit his lower lip as he watched Luke's sleep. The surge of love grew and grew until it choked him. Even breathing hurt. His child's face became blurry and he realized then he was crying. He bent down and softly kissed Luke's forehead. "I love you, Son. Thank you for saving me." He straightened up with a final caress to Luke's cheek. "You're wiser and stronger than I'll ever be. I admire you." He smiled sadly as he wiped his tears away. "You are my hero," he murmured, knowing just how true it was.  
  
Luke smiled softly in his sleep and turned onto his left side.  
  
Anakin smiled at the peaceful sight of his sleeping child and turning about, he slowly headed for the door. When he was about to reach it, he stopped. It felt cold to leave. He sighed. He didn't want to return to his empty, lonely room, away from his son's warm, comforting presence. Even asleep, Luke calmed and soothed his soul like nothing he had ever known. He looked around the room, looking for something, and then he saw the couch. It was only a double-seater, but it looked quite comfortable. It would be okay to sleep there, even in a sitting position. He quietly walked up to the closet and took out the spare blanket and a tiny pillow.  
  
He had to admit the ship looked quite homely. Nicely furnished, and the rooms looked very much like comfortable hotel rooms. It certainly said a lot about the person who commanded it. He prayed for a favourable verdict the next morning. He didn't want Mon Mothma's decision to break his son's heart. The boy had suffered so much! He wasn't worried about himself. He knew that no matter what the Alliance's decision was, he could live with it. Knowing he had his son's love and forgiveness would see him through anything life threw his way. But he didn't want his son to pay for his father's sins.  
  
Anakin sighed again. All these speculations led him nowhere. He dropped the blanket and the pillow on the couch. He wasn't particularly sleepy. But he couldn't start pacing the room or he would end up awakening Luke.  
  
That was when it occurred to him. He had to prepare himself for tomorrow's meeting. But being mentally ready wouldn't really help him. There was something else he could do. He couldn't allow his son to carry all the burden. He couldn't just sit beside him and let his boy fight for him. He had to help his son in any way he could. As Luke had wisely said, Anakin had to help him to help himself; even if he wasn't worthy of that help.  
  
He hadn't been the second leader of the Empire for nothing. He was a fine strategist and he knew that if he wanted to get something, he had to give something in return. Well, he knew where to start. He looked at his son's sleeping form.  
  
"I will help you, Son. You won't have to fight my battles anymore," he softly promised him.  
  
Resolutely, Anakin sat at the computer and activated it. He knew all Imperial codes, plus other secret codes and passwords only he and Palpatine knew. It would be a nice beginning.  
  
Anakin had been working at the computer for almost one hour when he felt something strange. He looked around him, but there was nothing out of the ordinary in the room. Luke kept on sleeping soundly, although he had thrown aside the sheets in his sleep and they only covered him from his waist down now. With a smile, Anakin stood up and walked up to his son's bedside. Carefully, he wrapped him in the covers up to his shoulders. He watched him sleeping for a few seconds before returning to the computer.  
  
"Amidala was right. Luke was the only one who could bring you back."  
  
Anakin turned about with a start to the familiar voice he had thought he would never hear again.  
  
"Obi-Wan!" His eyes opened wide. His legs began shaking and he had to fumble for his chair.  
  
The two men stared at each other for a while. Obi-Wan looked as composed and serene as he had looked alive. Anakin was fidgeting, very nervous, not really knowing how to face the ghostly appearance of his former master. The master he had killed.  
  
"Master, I ... I truly don't know what to say," he ventured, almost stammering.  
  
"There's nothing to say, Anakin," Obi-Wan smiled. "Your being here explains it all."  
  
Anakin blinked and swallowed. He felt as if he was 20 years old again, and he still was Obi-Wan's reckless, impulsive padawan. His eyes turned to his sleeping son instinctively, in urgent need of his support and strength.  
  
"Don't worry, he won't wake up," Obi-Wan reassured him. "I just wanted to tell you personally how happy I am that Luke has proved me wrong."  
  
Anakin's mouth fell open.  
  
Obi-Wan looked at his former padawan for a while with a soft smile, before sitting on the couch, right in front of him.  
  
"Many things have happened, Anakin. Many decisions were made. Some right, some wrong. We did what we thought best at the time. And many of those decisions led to some terrible events."  
  
Anakin listened very carefully. Obi-Wan was staring at him with kind, gentle eyes. He suddenly realized that maybe for the very first time in his life, he felt completely relaxed and at ease in his presence. He didn't feel like an impenitent youngster, but as an equal.  
  
"I see now that many of my decisions were the wrong ones. I did what I thought I should do when I was your master. But obviously, it wasn't what you needed. I made mistakes in your training that led you to the Dark Side."  
  
"No, master!" Anakin protested. "I made the decisions that led me to the Dark Side. I should have trusted you and explained to you my frustrations, my doubts, how torn I felt. But I thought you wouldn't understand, I thought you were holding me back because you thought I wasn't good enough or you were afraid of my potential. I allowed my own resentment to take me to the Dark Side. There were so many ugly feelings inside me at the time that it was all too easy to give in to Palpatine's tempting reasoning. The war, all the losses, years of misunderstandings ... my anger grew and grew, until,..." he closed his eyes and clenched his teeth.  
  
"Many different events made you turn. Many forces converged around you and tore you apart. We all tried to do our best, and the worst happened. It's no one's and everybody's fault. But I'm bound to apologize to you for all the mistakes I made that led you to make that decision. I was too stern a master. I relied too much on discipline and following the rules. You were different. You were too emotional, you questioned everything. You needed more space to find your own answers. We inexorably pushed you to your breaking point. And before I realized what was going on, it was already too late." Obi-Wan's voice sounded full of regret. "The times we lived in weren't easy ones. The Republic was falling apart, we had too many things to deal with and no time at all to deal with them. And everything failed. I failed you."  
  
"No, master, I failed. I failed everybody. From my mother to my children." Anakin looked down at his clasped hands.  
  
"You shouldn't call me master anymore," Obi-Wan gently reminded him. "You're nobody's padawan any longer. You're a grown man, a master in your own right. You've passed your trials ... by fire ... and survived," the shimmering figure seemed to shudder and Anakin shuddered too in empathic reaction. Both of them knew what the older master was talking about. "I'm sorry I failed you, Anakin. I'm sorry I gave up on you. I should have known better." His eyes turned to the sleeping figure in the bed. "How ironic. Luke never knew you and yet, he was the only one who believed in you. You only met for a few minutes before you hurt him with a brutality beyond belief, and still ... he saw!" His gaze turned introspective. "I had known you since you were a 9 year old boy ... and I thought everything was lost." He nodded to himself. "Yes, I made some serious mistakes and the entire galaxy has paid for it. Millions of lives ..."  
  
"Obi-Wan, you're making the same mistake I made that Luke has helped me realize," it was Anakin's turn to reassure. "What's done, is done. We can't turn it back. We can only move on and remember the painful lessons we have learnt. That's what Luke has taught me. We always try to do our best with the information we have at our disposal at the moment. If we knew the consequences of our actions beforehand, everything would be so simple!" he sighed. "But that's life. As inexorable and terrible."  
  
Obi-Wan stared at Anakin as if seeing him for the first time.  
  
"You have learnt," there was admiration and respect in his voice.  
  
"I have, indeed. I've completed the circle." Anakin couldn't help a shiver. "I only hope I'll be given a second chance to try and do something good. A chance to be a good father for my children, someone useful to the Alliance. There's no way I can atone for my crimes, but maybe I can help ... somehow."  
  
"You can help," Obi-Wan said with conviction. "And you will."  
  
Anakin looked at his master sharply.  
  
"You mean ...?"  
  
The older man shook his head.  
  
"No. I don't know what will happen tomorrow. The future's always in motion. There are too many variables at work. What I do know is that your children will have the chance to learn from you, from your experiences, and they will benefit from them, no matter what happens. They're already learning many things." His eyes turned to Luke, who kept on sleeping, oblivious to everything going on in his room. "He looks more at peace now than I've ever seen him. Not having you at his side was a loss he could never get over. The emptiness in his heart was impossible to fill. Only you could give him what he needed so desperately."  
  
Anakin watched his son, his breast filling to bursting with love.  
  
"It works both ways. He fills me too. In a way I never thought possible. If I had known sooner I had a child ...," he sighed.  
  
"Maybe that knowledge would have given you the strength necessary to renounce the Dark Side," Obi-Wan finished for him with a shadow in his voice. "Perhaps keeping that secret from you was another mistake. We only did it to protect them, you must believe me. They were the only hope for the Light to survive, especially after the Purges." He made a short pause. "We had to keep them from Palpatine at all costs. Amidala knew how much you wanted a child."  
  
Anakin's eyes reddened at the memory of his wife.  
  
"We both wanted. But the war didn't make it convenient. Any or both of us could die at any moment. We agreed to wait until the war was over so we could give our child a safe home."  
  
Obi-Wan saw Anakin was close to tears. He wished he could do something to mitigate his friend's pain.  
  
"She always harboured the hope that Luke would save you," he said.  
  
Anakin's teary eyes raised up to his.  
  
"Really?"  
  
Obi-Wan nodded.  
  
"She trusted Luke to give you what she had failed to. She hoped for his love to be strong enough to bring you back. She told Luke not to give up on you. You had been good once, there was always hope," his eyes met his padawan's. "She never stopped loving you, Anakin. Never. She always hoped you would return. You have no idea how happy I am she was able to transmit that faith to Luke. He was only a few days old when I took him to Tatooine, but I'm convinced she somehow managed to infuse that hope in his little baby heart," he turned his eyes, full of gentleness and compassion, to the sleeping young man. "There's a great deal of his mother in him."  
  
"Yes, there is. He's got the best of both of us," Anakin sniffled softly. "I can understand you much better than I did then, Obi-Wan. I've had no choice but to grow up." The two men let out a dry, bitter laugh. "I can understand now many of the things you did and why. Sometimes, you need the objectivity of time to really understand people's attitudes. I do understand now. You did what you thought you had to do and it didn't work. It's nobody's fault, it's just the way things turned out to be. I don't blame you, I don't blame Palpatine, and with all your help and in time, I'll try to stop blaming myself; at least, to a point where it'll stop interferring with my sanity. Luke opened my eyes and made me see it. And it is a most beautiful way to see things. I still had a destiny to fulfill." He smiled in his son's direction, lost in thought. "Maybe that's the reason why he brought me back!" It suddenly dawned on him with a flash of insight. "I wasn't supposed to die today. Is that it?" Anakin's eyes opened wide and he turned his face to his former master.  
  
Obi-Wan smiled enigmatically.  
  
"I suspected something of the sort when Luke resuscitated me in the Death Star, but somehow, I had forgotten about it." Something else came to his mind then. "And you were there, weren't you? I could feel your presence ... right at the edge of my consciousness."  
  
Obi-Wan's smile became affectionate.  
  
"A lot depends on you now, Anakin. On both Luke and you. And when you train Leia, on the three of you. The reconstruction of the Jedi Order will rest on your shoulders." His look intensified, full of passion. "Use your experience. Remember what worked and what didn't work in your training and Luke's. You won't fail. Be patient. It will take a few generations, but Luke's grandchildren will begin to know the splendour of the Jedi, as it was in their golden age."  
  
Anakin's mind became lost in the dream Obi-Wan had weaved. He could almost see that promise come true. It seemed possible. It could be possible! If only tomorrow ...  
  
"Follow your heart, Anakin. It will serve you right. No matter what happens, I am so very proud of you!"  
  
Anakin's eyes became alive again and he looked up at Obi-Wan, moved to his very core.  
  
"You accomplished a feat no one else survived from. You turned to the Dark Side, but you renounced it. You still had goodness and integrity inside you to pull out of the Darkness. All the others who preceded you never returned. But you were strong enough to hold onto Luke's faith and love and allowed them to save you. It takes an incredible courage to do that! Pride is one of the trademarks of the Dark Side, but you were humble enough to admit you were mistaken and you risked everything to accompany your son back and face your destiny."  
  
"I owe everything to Luke. Everything!" Anakin said, as if that explained it all.  
  
"And to yourself. If it hadn't been there, Luke wouldn't have seen it," Obi-Wan reminded him. "Yes, Anakin, it was as much your deed as it was Luke's. Give yourself some credit for your turn. If there had been nothing to salvage inside you, Luke's efforts would have been in vain."  
  
"Master ..." Anakin's chin trembled.  
  
"You've earned your title, Anakin. Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker. I almost envy your future padawan. No one will understand them and train them better than you. What a magnificent generation of Jedi you will breed!"  
  
The two old friends remained there for a little while, absorbing this new, joyous reality, soaking in their reawakened friendship and in the beautiful feeling of peace it brought.  
  
"Thank you, Obi-Wan!" Anakin exclaimed, infinitely grateful. "You've eased my mind and my soul in a way you can't possibly imagine! To hear these words from you ..." his voiced choked.  
  
"I know, Anakin; I know," Obi-Wan's voice was full of unashamed affection. "It is all right, my friend. I understand. Rest now. You also need to be ready for tomorrow's meeting."  
  
Anakin took a deep, calming breath, and nodded. He pointed at the computer.  
  
"I have to finish here first, but I'm almost done."  
  
"In that case, I won't delay you further." The shimmering figure got to his feet. "It's been good talking to you again, Anakin. May the Force be with you ... and your offspring." The ghostly image began fading away.  
  
"Master, wait!" Anakin impulsively called, standing up too. "Will I ever see you again?"  
  
"Maybe," Obi-Wan smiled softly. "Take care of yourself, my friend." The figure disappeared.  
  
"Take care, Master," Anakin replied to the emptiness before him, feeling a bit foolish. It felt silly telling a spirit to take care of himself. He shivered, not really knowing why, gazing into the distance. But then, the soft, rhythmic sound of Luke's breathing filled his ears and slowly brought him back. With a shaky smile, he walked up to his son's bedside once more, calming himself with the beautiful, pure sight. He reached out and caressed Luke's hair. With every soft stroke, the feeling of peace increased. He sighed and looked up at the ceiling. His mind had been in such a turmoil! Foreboding, fear, exhaustion, anxiety, love, hope ... But Obi-Wan's visit had lain to rest a lot of ghosts. He smiled at the words. He had needed to face his older master more than he thought. There were too many things that had been left unsaid between them. And it was so important they had been able to talk about it and forgive each other! Now he could face the Alliance's leader tomorrow with a clearer conscience. He understood then that was the reason for Obi-Wan's appearance tonight. He closed his eyes and whispered his most heartfelt thanks.  
  
When he opened them again, he saw the flicker of the screen, still activated. He shook himself out of his reverie and, forcing his legs to walk, he sat down at the computer. He finished what he was doing a few minutes later and he saved it all in a disk. He took it out and carefully put it into its box. He turned the computer off and stood up. Slowly, he headed for the couch with the little disk in his hand, studying it. Then, he put it on the table next to the couch and flopped down on it with a groan.  
  
He still was thinking of his conversation with Obi-Wan. Their mutual reassurances, their explanations, the revealed truths ... It felt so good to have taken everything off his chest, at last! So good to have finally released it all after a lifetime of bottling it up inside him!  
  
Not really knowing why, his eyes turned to his sleeping child. A spontaneous smile came to his lips. There he was, the one responsible for this blissful peace he felt. So much like his mother! The words echoed in his mind time and time again. And then, it occurred to him. He jumped to his feet and activated the computer once more. He had to search for a while, but he eventually found what he was looking for. He stared at it with a lump in his throat and his eyes filled with tears as he saved it. He pulled himself together with difficulty and turned the computer off for the last time tonight.  
  
He returned to the couch and improvised his sleeping arrangements. He stretched out his legs on the cushions and rested his upper back, neck and head on the small pillow in a practically sitting position. Next, he covered himself with the light blanket. It was comfortable enough! He turned off the lights through the Force. Complete darkness enveloped him, but he wasn't afraid. He had survived it and emerged stronger than ever. He listened to the even sound of his child's respiration. It seemed to lull him to a sweet sleep. He filled his senses with it, closed his eyes and gratefully let go.  
  
  
  
TO BE CONCLUDED... 


	3. A New Life Part 4

A New Life (Part 4)  
  
  
  
Luke stared down at the sleeping form of his father, his chest bursting with love and gratitude. He had wakened a few minutes ago, and as he remained lazing around in his bed, getting used to his waking state and mentally preparing himself for the day that awaited him, he had felt his father's presence in the room. He had left the bed and padded barefoot to the couch, where he found his father sleeping soundly. He smiled as his heart swelled and exploded inside him. His father had stayed over all night. He didn't know why, but the knowledge made him feel so safe and cared for ... He felt like a son for the very first time in his life. Protected and taken care of. He hadn't really needed his father to stay, but Anakin had done it all the same. Little fatherly gestures like this gave him a feeling of fullness and joy so immense, Luke felt like whooping for all he was worth and waking up everybody aboard the ship.  
  
He studied his father's features unabashadly. It was awesome how alike they were! He already knew how he would look in a few years! He couldn't help but feel a distinct feeling of pride in his heritage. He knew now where he came from, who he was, who his parents were. He felt as if he had his feet more firmly on the ground, more focused, stronger than ever in his identity.  
  
He felt happy.  
  
His father looked much younger, the few lines on his face smoothed away by sleep. Luke could almost imagine a younger Anakin, Obi-Wan's padawan, impulsive and reckless ... like him. Wanting to fly too soon, with stars in his eyes and in his heart ... Yes, like father, like son.  
  
He felt a sleepy tickle in his mind and his eyes focused on his father again. Anakin was watching him through rheumy, slitted eyes, and a faraway little smile.  
  
"Good morning," Luke greeted him.  
  
"Good morning, Son," Anakin replied, rubbing his eyes with his fists.  
  
"Did you sleep well?" Luke's voice sounded mildly unsure. No doubt, he was implicitly referring to his father's cramped position on the couch.  
  
"Yes, I did," Anakin smiled up at his son. He moved his legs and put his feet on the floor. "No taut muscles and no stiffness whatsoever, I assure you. I've slept like a log!" He met Luke's eyes, a bit sheepish. "I'm sorry I stayed over, but I just couldn't bring myself to leave here. I hope you don't mind."  
  
"Mind?" Luke was so delighted he could hardly refrain from making a fool of himself in front of Anakin. "You just realized one of my most cherished childhood dreams, Father!"  
  
Anakin smiled from ear to ear, just as delighted as his son.  
  
"Thank you!" the boy seemed terribly moved and happy beyond belief.  
  
"No, Son. Thank you," Anakin said, softly.  
  
Luke dropped casually on the couch beside his father then.  
  
"Are you hungry?" he asked, sliding his fingers through his messed hair and rubbing it briskly.  
  
"Yes, quite a bit!" Anakin answered, scratching his left sole.  
  
"Me too." Luke tried to stifle a yawn. "In that case, I suggest we ..."  
  
Whatever he was about to say, was interrupted by the buzzing sound of the doorbell.  
  
"Come in!" he said.  
  
The door slid open and R2-D2 and C3PO came in. It was obvious they had sustained a good adjusting since the night before. Both looked perfectly cleaned up and polished. They shone under the artificial morning light.  
  
"Good morning, Master Ani, Master Luke! I trust you slept well," 3PO greeted them. He carried some deep blue clothes draped over his right arm. R2 carried a tray full of food and drinks, in a fashion that resembled his short time as a waiter in Jabba's Sail Barge. He beeped something at his golden companion. "I see he's here, Artoo," 3PO replied, in his usual soft patronizing way. "Don't be so self-satisfied about it."  
  
The small droid made a noise that resembled a raspberry.  
  
"What is it, 3PO?" Anakin asked.  
  
"Oh, nothing important, Master," 3PO answered. "We knocked at your door first, but you wouldn't answer. Artoo suggested we try to find you here instead."  
  
R2 beeped something vehemently and 3PO dismissed it. Anakin and Luke looked at each other out of the corner of their eyes with a little smile.  
  
"We've brought you some breakfast," 3PO went on, "I've also checked the limited number of sizes available at the ship's wardrobe, and I surmised you would have difficulty in finding clothes your size," he told Anakin, "I found these and I thought you might need them."  
  
Anakin's eyes opened wide at the droid's foresight.  
  
"I do need them indeed, 3PO! Thank you very much. I wouldn't want to present myself in front of the Alliance's leader looking so ridiculous." He stood up and turned about for the two droids.  
  
R2 began emitting some hilarious noises, that clearly indicated his opinion of Anakin's look in that attire. 3PO was more diplomatic.  
  
"I'm glad I found these clothes for you, Master," he simply said, a bit too dramatically.  
  
Luke couldn't help a snigger. After spending the night on the couch, Anakin's clothes looked somewhat wrinkled and rumpled, which added up to his already amusing enough appearance.  
  
Anakin looked around him, suspiciously. Luke put up his most serious look immediately. It looked so forced, especially since he was biting the inside of his mouth to hide his mirth, that Anakin smiled at it. Luke burst out laughing helplessly then. His infectious laugher triggered Anakin's, who slumped on the couch beside his son.  
  
"Oh, well!" Anakin sighed, when the laughter subsided. "It's a nice way to start the day. Laughing at oneself is always a healthy practice!"  
  
3PO put Anakin's clothes on Luke's bed carefully and approached them.  
  
Luke was already chewing on some piece of fruit and drinking a glass of juice.  
  
"I'm not as hungry as I thought I would be," he commented.  
  
Anakin looked at him with compassionate eyes. He knew exactly what Luke was feeling. He had a knot in his stomach already. This was a feeling he had always hated. Dread. And he felt dread now, and frustration too. If only he could spare his boy the confrontation with his own allies! But it was unavoidable. They both had to go through this. With a sigh, he reached out and picked up a piece of fruit from R2's tray. He couldn't help studying it for a little while, in fascination, before tasting it.  
  
When they had almost finished their breakfast in a comfortable silence, Luke's doorbell buzzed again.  
  
"Come in!" Luke said, already knowing who was coming.  
  
The door opened and Han, Leia, Chewie and Lando entered.  
  
"Good morning!", everybody said, practically at the same time.  
  
When Leia saw her father in her brother's room, she paled a bit, but she recovered pretty quickly.  
  
"Had a good night's sleep?" she asked them.  
  
"Yep, great!" Luke nodded, with his mouth full.  
  
"Me too," Anakin said softly, his heart bursting with love at the sight of his daughter.  
  
"I see you've slept here," Han pointed at the pillow on the couch and the blanket father and son were sitting on.  
  
"Yes, he did," Luke smiled up at his friends. "We talked for a while and then he stayed over."  
  
"That's nice, kid!" Han smiled at his friend. He knew how much Luke had craved for his father, and it was obvious Anakin was trying to make up to him for all the time they had been apart. Both of them seemed to need it desperately. What a pity Leia ...! He sighed. But he contented himself with the knowledge that she was already on her way. It was just a matter of time. Leia needed Anakin as desperately as Luke. And so did her father. Sooner or later, everything would be all right. And the Corellian wished it was sooner, in case today's meeting didn't turn out the way they hoped. He cast the negative thought aside, refusing to even consider the possibility.  
  
"Did you sleep well?" Anakin asked them after taking a small sip at his juice. He still wasn't completely used to drinking again from a glass, and he didn't want to make a mess. But it was all coming back to him.  
  
"Yes, we all did." Lando answered for all of them, sitting on Luke's empty bed.  
  
Luke noticed then his friends looked completely sharp and neatly dressed. They had been awake for quite some time now.  
  
"How long have you been up and about?" he asked.  
  
"Quite a while," Leia answered this time. "We're coming from the mess. We just had breakfast there."  
  
"Yeah," Han joined in. "We decided to let you sleep some more. You needed it. But since we still had no news from you, we decided to knock, in case you had overslept."  
  
Anakin checked the chrono again. They had time enough, but they shouldn't waste it. He finished his fruit and his juice. His stomach felt stuffed all of a sudden.  
  
"Well!" he announced, getting up from the couch and picking up the disk he had left on the table beside it the night before. "I'm going to my room now to get ready." He patted R2's dome gently. "Thanks for the breakfast, Artoo," he told the little droid.  
  
R2 beeped happily.  
  
"We'll wait for you here, Father," Luke said.  
  
"All right. I'll be back in thirty minutes." Anakin picked up his new clothes from his son's bed. "Thank you for finding these clothes for me, 3PO."  
  
"My pleasure, Master!" the droid replied, almost glowing with pride.  
  
With a shy smile at all those in the room, Anakin left.  
  
"I've never seen this goldenrod acting so cocky," Han couldn't help teasing the droid at the smallest opportunity. "Must be all that etiquette and protocol thing. He's finally doing what he excels at, being an insufferable pest."  
  
"Excuse me, General, I'm only trying to do my job in the most efficient manner," the droid defended himself.  
  
"Sure you do," Han was smiling mischievously now. The droid had fallen into his game headfirst. "And doing it in front of your Maker adds quite a bonus to it, huh?"  
  
"Taking into account the fact that my memory banks have been tampered with and I didn't know who my Maker was up to a few hours ago, I definitely consider it a 'bonus', General Solo," was 3PO's unexpectedly dignified answer.  
  
Everybody gave a surprised start and looked at each other, really affected by the droid's bitter comeback. Even Han forgot to think of an appropriate reply.  
  
"I'm sorry, 3PO!" Luke apologized sincerely to the droid, realizing he had completely forgotten about the droid's predicament. "I forgot to check your memory banks! I had too many things on my mind last night. If you don't mind waiting until the meeting's over, I'll check up on you afterwards. I promise."  
  
"Don't worry, Master Luke! I understand perfectly. I can wait," the droid reassured him.  
  
The young Jedi nodded and stood up.  
  
"I'm gonna have a shower and get ready too." He opened his closet and began rummaging through it, looking for some appropriate clothes to wear. He finally chose a brown top, long-sleeved and crew neck, and matching brown bottoms.  
  
"It'll take me just a few minutes, if you want to wait for me here," he smiled at his friends as he headed for the bathroom. "I hope they're my size!" he cracked as he disappeared inside with a wink.  
  
When Luke was out of hearing range, everybody looked at each other.  
  
"Do you see him the same way I do?" Lando asked.  
  
"He's nervous," Leia said immediately.  
  
"And worried," Han added.  
  
"And scared," Chewie barked.  
  
"He's trying to pretend everything's going to be okay, but he knows it won't be easy," Lando said, almost to himself.  
  
"And he's trying to spare us. As usual," Leia's words were full of affection as she looked at the closed bathroom door.  
  
"There's nothing we can really do to help, but we are here to share. We're all in this together," Han said.  
  
"You know Luke." Leia raised her eyebrows, as if that explained it all. And it did.  
  
"Yeah," the Corellian sighed, leaning back on his chair. "It's not fair for him to go through this. He's done nothing but almost giving his life for the Alliance ... several times. It almost feels like a court- martial."  
  
"It's not a court-martial," Leia tried to defend the Alliance's side. "It's a simple meeting for ... 'him' to explain himself and for the Alliance to decide what's going to happen next."  
  
"Whatever you say, sweetheart," Han's ironical side surfaced. "But it still feels like a court-martial to me." He crossed his arms.  
  
Leia looked at Han pointedly, but she ended up sighing too. Deep down, she shared his opinion. And she admired him for voicing it in his usual honest, straightforward way. That was one of the reasons why she loved him so fiercely. They had sacrificed so much in this war! Luke didn't deserve to go through this. Leia felt like hitting something.  
  
"And how do you see ... 'him'?" she asked, needing to talk about something. Anything but the loud silence of her thoughts.  
  
"Who, your father?" Han seemed to have woken up not mincing his words. "I see him just like Luke. They looked very relaxed when we arrived, but when they saw the time was coming..."  
  
Leia nodded.  
  
"He must be climbing the walls in his room right now. Like Luke." Han stood up and began pacing the room. "Damn it, it's not fair!" he exclaimed.  
  
"We can only give them all our support and trust everything will be all right," Lando said. "We haven't been asked, yet. But if they ever ask me, I won't hold my tongue. I'll tell them that in my opinion, they should reprieve him and start taking care of more important matters, like putting an end to this bloody war once and for all!"  
  
"Now you're not being fair," Leia said. "Put yourself in Mon Mothma's place. She has no idea of what's happened here. All she knows is that one minute, Vader was the second bloodiest murderer in the galaxy, he had hunted us down for years, killed millions of people throughout the last two decades and tortured us all; and the next minute, he's my father and Luke's and one of the good guys. If I was her, my head would still be spinning! It's understandable she wants to take care of the matter cautiously and by the book. It's an extremely delicate political situation to handle here. There are a lot of implications involved, not to mention personal feelings. We're sitting in the middle of a powder-keg about to explode."  
  
"All right, Leia, we get your point," Han soothed her kindly, finally sitting down. "But I think you're going a bit too far. It's not the first time the Alliance has reprieved a particularly vicious Imperial. Remember Commander Thazzel? My, he was only 32 years old and he was already on his way to break Vader's record! None of us would have given a credit for that bloodthirsty little sonofabitch!" Han remembered the couple fights he had engaged in with Thazzel, when he had had enough of his venomous threats and impossible attitude. "And yet, she was able to see beyond that and reprieve him. And it turned out she was right, as usual," he sighed. "The biggest problem here is that Vader personified the Empire almost as much as Palpatine himself. The Imperial officers the Alliance has reprieved, were strangers to the public and the media, and unfortunately for your father, he isn't. But if she was able to see in Thazzel what no one could see, then there's no reason at all for her not to see what lies in your father's heart. It'll require a lot of guts on her part, but it's a matter of justice. It's about being consequent on one's actions until the end. It's decisions like this that put a system to the test. There's no merit in reprieving nobodies. The greatness of a system is measured by decisions like this. And I'm certain this one will rise to the occasion."  
  
An awed silence followed Han's speech. Only R2's admiring whistle brought them back.  
  
"I hope they have as much insight as you, my friend."  
  
Luke's voice startled them. They hadn't heard him come out of the bathroom.  
  
"Holy shit, kid! You'll give us a heart attack!" Han gasped.  
  
Luke smiled and squeezed the Corellian's shoulder affectionately. He had needed to hear those words more than anything else. He was infinitely grateful for having chosen that moment to come out of the bathroom. Han's impassioned speech had eased many of his fears. He felt strong enough now to face the Alliance's High Command in full. He had truth and justice on his side and a clear conscience. There was nothing to fear.  
  
Just then, Luke's doorbell buzzed.  
  
"Come in, Father!" the young man said.  
  
The door slid open and Anakin came in. He looked impressive, dressed in a deep blue, long-sleeved top and matching bottoms, his size for a change, and boots. There was an aura of dignity and elegance around him that left everybody speechless. His gentle blue eyes shone with resolve. It was obvious he had also done some soul-searching of his own and he had come to Luke's conclusions. It was time to believe in himself and hope for the best.  
  
Leia couldn't stop staring at her father. He had left her breathless! She could understand now what her mother had seen in him. But once more, she couldn't help but wonder how such a brilliant, intelligent, able man had decided to renounce every moral and principle, and become an agent of evil. It was something she would never understand, no matter how many times they explained it to her. Everybody was entitled to make mistakes, it was part of being human and growing up. But to fall to such a degree ... She sighed, feeling helpless. Her conflicting feelings were tearing her apart again.  
  
Anakin crossed the room shyly, aware of everybody's eyes on him, and sat down beside his son on the couch.  
  
"Are you ready?" Luke asked his father.  
  
Anakin looked at him with an ironic smile.  
  
"No, but I'm trying," he answered.  
  
Luke smiled back and softly patted his forearm.  
  
"Just like me! How fortuitous!" he commented.  
  
Anakin reached out and rumpled Luke's hair. It was a gesture they both desperately craved. They needed to convey a feeling of normalcy and unconcern, no matter the trepidation they were feeling inside.  
  
A couple minutes passed in absolute silence. Then, father and son seemed to come out of their little trance at the same time.  
  
"What do you say, Son?" Anakin's voice sounded pleasant, and unexpectedly cheerful.  
  
"Let's go, Father!" Luke answered, rising to his feet.  
  
Everybody stood up then. Strangely enough, it was their friends who were feeling apprehensive now.  
  
Leia walked up to her brother and took his hands in hers. They looked deep into each other's eyes. Leia tried to pass on to her brother all her strength and courage, everything he needed to help their father. She had decided her feelings weren't important in this matter. Her little voice was telling her Anakin had to be reprieved. His freedom would be the cornerstone for the Alliance to start rebuilding the entire galaxy, for true forgiveness to have any real meaning.  
  
Luke saw it all and smiled lovingly at her. He reached out and stroked her cheek with his fingertips. They bent forward until their foreheads touched, leaning on each other.  
  
"Save him," she whispered to him. "Save him so you can save me."  
  
Luke's eyes filled with tears.  
  
"You don't need to be saved, Leia. The truth is inside you, and you will find it. You only have to let it out. We will help you. Our father will help you", he kissed her forehead. "Let him reach you. Let him touch your heart. He's got so much love to give you and you have so much love to give him! Let it happen. Just ... don't fight it and let it be."  
  
Leia looked down and sniffed. She braved her brother's gaze again.  
  
"I ... I'll try," she promised.  
  
Luke smiled tenderly at her.  
  
Anakin watched his children, his heart bursting with love for them both. It was so beautiful to see them together like this! 'Oh, Padmé! Look at them! Our beautiful, precious children!!' Anakin's chest ached. And then, he remembered.  
  
"Lu-" he croaked. "Luke, Leia," he said softly after clearing his throat.  
  
They looked at him with heartbreakingly open eyes, their hands clasped again.  
  
"There's something I want to show you, before the meeting. I owe it to both of you."  
  
"What is it, Father?" Luke asked, dragging Leia along by the hand.  
  
Anakin turned about and activated the computer. He accessed the file he had saved the night before. He moved aside, so his two children could have a clear view of the image he was about to open.  
  
The picture of a young couple filled the screen. The tall, handsome blond, blue-eyed young man wore a Jedi robe, and the thin plait clearly identified him as a Jedi padawan. His hair was short and mostly spiky. His right, mechanical arm, hung at his right side, and his left human arm was wrapped around the beautiful young woman's waist, clasping her amorously to him. She was wearing the most delicately ornate white dress they had ever seen. It outlined her small, perfect, beautiful figure. She wore a long, white skullcap, that fell on her shoulders as a veil, with threaded pearls. The young couple was framed in the set of a lake, and white clouds hid the tops of the mountains behind. They were standing in what seemed a huge balcony, in the shade of a thick, leafy old tree. They exuded peace and happiness, but there was also an aura of excitement and endearing shyness about them. An unknown future lay before them, but they seemed ready to take on the whole galaxy ... together.  
  
Luke forgot to breathe. He couldn't stop looking at the picture. He was entranced by it!  
  
Leia's reaction was more dramatic. She let out a choked sob and her suddenly trembling hand reached out to the young woman. She brought her fingertips an inch away from her smiling face.  
  
"Mum," she wailed. The tears rolled down her face, unstoppable.  
  
Luke wrapped his arm around his sister's shoulders, trying to give her a part of his strength. He felt dizzy. His chest ached, as if tiny needles were pricking his heart. He was seeing his mother's face for the first time in his life. She was so beautiful! So delicately strong! He couldn't quite see the colour of her hair, but a few long, wavy strands fell down her front, and they were clearly brown. Her hair, her eyes ... So alike Leia, it was awesome! Their father was right, both of them had inherited their mother's physical constitution. Small, but strong. And their parents looked so in love, so happy, so full of life! A bright, promising future, full of possibilities opened before them. What had gone wrong? What had happened? He felt Leia cuddling up to his body and he hugged her to him. It had been an unexpected shock for her to face a picture of her mother after her heartbreaking loss, so many years ago.  
  
Anakin furtively wiped a lonely tear away. When he turned to his children, he found Leia's eyes on him. They were desperate, almost feverish in their intensity and he couldn't escape them. He felt as if his angel was looking at him through their daughter's eyes!  
  
"You truly loved her, didn't you?" she weakly asked him.  
  
Anakin closed his eyes and hissed through tightly clenched teeth as he breathed.  
  
"She was my entire life," he answered, just as weakly; but everybody in the room could hear him nonetheless. "She always was and she always will be." His eyes were as intense as Leia's, and they glowed when the tears finally streamed down his cheeks. "And she's here right now. In you. Your mother goes on living through the both of you. Never forget it."  
  
Luke touched his mother's face with his fingertips. Something was surging up from deep inside him. A sweet scent, the phantom brush of soft lips on his cheeks. It couldn't be! He was practically a newborn when he was brought to Tatooine! He couldn't possibly remember ...! His face flushed and he brutally crushed the tears before they completely filled his eyes. He looked up into his father's still misted eyes.  
  
"When ...?" he swallowed the lump in his throat.  
  
"Our wedding day. We got married on Naboo," Anakin answered. "As Naboo's former Queen, our wedding had some repercussion in the planet's media. That's why I knew where to look for this last night."  
  
"Your mother was actually a Queen?" Han asked, his eyes popping out of their sockets.  
  
Leia turned to her beloved and smiled at him softly.  
  
"Naboo had an elected monarchy," Anakin explained. "Your mother was a Queen for the two terms the system allowed. They tried to change it so she could remain a Queen for a third term, but she refused to have the system changed on her behalf. She became a Senator then."  
  
"Just like me," Leia said to herself.  
  
Anakin smiled at his daughter, bursting with pride.  
  
"Yes, just like you. You followed your mother's steps unkowingly."  
  
Leia met her father's eyes.  
  
"And Luke followed yours ... although, thank heavens, he didn't follow it until the end."  
  
Anakin and Luke shivered in reaction to her words.  
  
"I'm sorry!" Leia immediately said, grabbing her brother's arm. "I didn't mean it that way. I ..."  
  
"It is all right," Anakin soothed her with a shaky smile. "Don't be afraid to talk about it. It's not taboo. It's not wise sweeping things under the carpet. Words cause no harm, silences do. It'll do us good talking about it."  
  
Another silence filled the room as everybody looked again at the young couple on the screen.  
  
"I won't let your mother become just a memory," Anakin said vehemently, clenching his fists. "I will share with you all my memories of her, and she will live in your memories too, as she lives in mine. There's where true immortality lies."  
  
Luke and Leia studied their parents' picture for a very long time, committing to memory each and every one of their mother's features. They absorbed every tiny sign they thought they could detect in her stance, trying to create an entire background from a single frame, frozen in time.  
  
Luke tried to draw strength from the immense feeling of love the picture conveyed. His parents had loved each other. Fiercely, passionately, desperately. Maybe, deep down, they had always known their love was doomed, that it shouldn't be. But they had been unable to fight it and they had simply accepted it. And he and Leia were the fruits of that love. Their parents' love had been good. He found an immeasurable peace in the knowledge of that truth. And a surge of strength as he had never known. He was ready to defend and protect his father for all he was worth. He didn't know where that sudden strength came from, but one look at that beautiful, smiling young woman, told him where the source of that strength was. He smiled and nodded at her, as if she could respond to him.  
  
'I will do everything in my power to save him, mother!' he promised. He closed his eyes and suffused himself with all the peace and calm he could muster. When he opened them, he found himself staring into his father's gentle, understanding eyes. He smiled softly at him and Anakin nodded.  
  
They were ready.  
  
"Let's go, my son," Anakin said softly, with a smile full of peace and serenity.  
  
With a deep intake of breath, Luke headed for the door. Anakin followed him after casting a final glance at his wife's smiling face. She was his strength, now and always.  
  
All those who still were sitting, stood up then and followed them out in silence. They had been as moved and shaken by the image of Luke and Leia's parents as they were. R2 beeped something after a while, and Anakin smiled. He didn't need any translation; he knew very well what the droid had said.  
  
"Yes, Artoo. You and 3PO witnessed our wedding. How could I forget? It was good to have you with us."  
  
"They were there?" Leia asked, astonished, looking at the two droids who walked beside her with a newfound respect. They were more linked to their past than she would have ever suspected.  
  
Anakin nodded dreamily.  
  
"Oh, I wish I could remember, Master!" 3PO moaned.  
  
"You will, 3PO," Luke reassured him, looking back at him while he walked. "We'll take a look at you after the meeting. There's got to be something we can do. Don't worry."  
  
"I hope so, Master Luke!" the droid fervently wished.  
  
They covered the remaining corridors in silence after that, until they stopped in front of two big double doors; it was the ships's main conference room. Anakin turned to his newfound friends.  
  
"Well, this is as far as you can go!" he smiled at them gratefully. "Thank you for accompanying us here. I needed it."  
  
Lando shook his head.  
  
"It's the least we could do. And I wish I could do more," he reached out his hand to Anakin. "Good luck."  
  
Anakin looked down at Lando's outstretched hand and next, he saw himself reaching out too, hesitatingly, and shaking it. Lando patted Anakin's upper arm with his free hand a couple times, in total support.  
  
"Thank you, General Calrissian!" Anakin's voice trembled slightly.  
  
Lando nodded and let go of Anakin's hand. Han stepped forward then and offered his hand to Anakin. Speechless by now, Anakin shook it, more confidently.  
  
"I hope you're a free man when you walk out of these doors. May the Force be with you." His voice and his stance were full of intensity and conviction. He clasped Anakin's hand between both of his and shook it more powerfully.  
  
"Thank you very much, General Solo." Anakin was doing his very best not to be overcome by emotion.  
  
"Call me Han. That's what my friends call me."  
  
Luke bit his lower lip. There was an incredible depth to the Corellian's heart. How proud he was to have him as a friend!  
  
Anakin covered Han's hand with his own and shook it once, sealing the pact.  
  
"Han." He sniffed.  
  
The Corellian smiled softly.  
  
Chewie couldn't restrain himself any longer. As soon as Anakin and Han let go of each other's hands, he clasped Anakin to him, in one of his famous, or infamous now, bearhugs. Anakin coughed a couple times, completely taken by surprise. He had almost swallowed his own Adam's apple!  
  
"All right, Chewie, all right; I got the hint!" he croaked, as his eyes popped open.  
  
Chewie growled something vehemently, nodding time and again and shaking his head in a most expressive speech.  
  
"Thank you so much, my friend," Anakin scratched the Wookie's fur when he was finally released.  
  
Chewie reached out and ruffled Anakin's hair. Everybody spluttered in amusement. It seemed that the same way Anakin used that gesture with Luke, something that had become an expression of comfort and trust between them, Chewie had also adopted it with Anakin for the very same reason. He almost seemed to consider the older Jedi to be his pet!  
  
Chewie finally stopped messing about with Anakin's hair and things seemed to reach an impasse then. Anakin hardly dared to risk looking at his daughter now. On the one hand, he was dying to receive her support, a kind word from her, anything; but on the other, he was very aware of not deserving them. To his amazement, the solution to his dilemma sorted itself out when the Princess approached him, holding out her small hand, a bit too formally.  
  
"Good luck ... Father," her voice was barely a whisper. "I know you've sincerely repented of the crimes you've committed. I hope Mon Mothma will also see the truth, so we can move on and start rebuilding our lives ... together."  
  
Anakin stared at his daughter, not believing his ears and his eyes. His chin and his lips began trembling, and his eyes reddened helplessly. Holding back his emotions brutally again, he let out a shaky breath, took the delicate hand in his and softly squeezed it. This was the first time he was actually touching his daughter as a father. A shiver ran up and down his spine. He was very much aware of the privilege he had just been given and the effort Leia had made. He had never felt more honoured.  
  
"Thank you, my daughter. Your support is everything I needed to enter that room feeling worthy. I know how much it's cost you. Thank you so very much!"  
  
Leia looked deeply into her father's eyes and nodded. Many things had changed inside her, especially after seeing her parents' picture. Too many things had been changing since the night before. So many, she could hardly keep up with them. She saw in her father's still youthful features the ghost of a 20 year old face, young and full of life ... and love for her mother. The same love she saw in his eyes now whenever he looked at her or at Luke. The same love she was feeling through their clasped hands. This man held no spark of evil inside him. It was as if she could see right through him every time she touched him. The same thing had happened when she had brushed past him in the Falcon. She couldn't explain or understand how this could be so, but it didn't change the fact that it was. And it frightened her. Not the fact that she could see right through her father's soul, but the fact that everything inside her wanted to reach out back to him; and she she still wasn't ready. Oh, it would be so easy to let go! His touch was so comforting, so soothing, so ... fatherly! It was every dream she had ever held dear about her real father! She ached inside to hold on tight and never let go. But she couldn't afford to let go. Not yet. She withdrew her hand from his grasp slowly, shyly.  
  
Anakin accepted her need to withdraw and let her go. He felt a sharp pain in his chest, but controlled it. She was trying, and he had no right to ask for more.  
  
"Don't forget this," the words came out on their own, strong, firm, full of love and raw emotion. "You and Luke are my life, the best part of myself. If I didn't have you, I would have no reason to go on living; I wouldn't want to." He pause painfully and swallowed the lump in his throat. "I just wanted you to know," he smiled weakly.  
  
Leia stared at him, not daring to blink. She felt a terrible pain in her chest. And gratitude too. But she didn't know how to let it show. She was paralysed.  
  
Luke's hand settled on his father's shoulder and squeezed it softly. Anakin took a deep breath and turned his head until he met his son's caring eyes. He covered Luke's hand with his own.  
  
R2's excited beeping startled them all slightly.  
  
"Yes, Artoo," 3PO translated almost immediately. "Both of us want to wish you all the best, Master. We both hope for the Alliance to make the only reasonable decision."  
  
"Thank you, 3PO," Anakin smiled at his golden droid and at his smaller friend. "I know it doesn't sound very appropriate for me to say this," he was addressing all of them now, "but I also hope they have your compassion and understanding."  
  
"They?!" Han suddenly exclaimed. He remembered then Luke had also used the plural when he had exited the bathroom. 'I hope they have as much insight as you, my friend,' he had said. "What do you mean 'they'? I thought this was going to be a private meeting with Mon Mothma."  
  
"No, Han," Luke explained calmly. "It seems there has been a change in the original plan."  
  
"A change? What do you mean? When did that happen?" Han was looking from father to son, not knowing what were they talking about all of a sudden.  
  
With an affectionate smile, Luke hugged him, drawing strength from his friends' physical contact. It had become as necessary for him as breathing. The Corellian returned the hug, very confused. He had no idea what was going on there. He seemed to have missed something and he didn't know what it was!  
  
Luke hugged Lando, Chewie and Leia, who seemed to be in as much confusion as Han. His sister clung to him desperately and kissed his cheek, trying to pass on to him all her remaining strength and courage. She was trembling softly in his arms. Luke felt her intent and pressed her closer to him, trying to give back as much strength as he was taking.  
  
"Keep the faith," they whispered to each other at the same time.  
  
They moved back immediately, very surprised. They smiled at one another, very comforted by the knowledge they were thinking along similar lines. Luke kissed his sister's cheek and let her go, very slowly. They held on tight to each other's hands until Luke broke the contact by stepping backwards. Releasing all the air in his lungs in a quick blow, the young man turned to his father, who was already waiting for him right in front of the double doors. Anakin stared at him for a short moment before shaking his head and rolling his eyes in a pretendedly exaggerated, patronizing gesture. He reached out and combed through Luke's hair with his fingers, until every strand was perfectly in place. Then, suddenly remembering Chewie's equal liking for hair messing, he combed through his own hair thoroughly, until he considered he had to look all right. He looked at his son for verification and Luke nodded at him with a mischievous smile. The boy reached out and needlessly tweaked one lock of hair on the top of his father's head, as if adding the final touch on his father's hairdo.  
  
"Okay, now!" he announced with an impish smile.  
  
Anakin reached out again, intending to ruffle Luke's hair, but he restrained himself in time. He grasped his son's hand instead and squeezed it in a gesture of mutual support. Luke returned the pressure, grinning at him. At his father's sharp nod, the boy reached out and buzzed for admittance. They let go of each other's hand then, but everybody could see the invisible thread that stretched out between them and bound father and son together.  
  
The double doors opened and Luke and Anakin entered, walking resolutely shoulder to shoulder. Their friends couldn't help a gasp when they caught a glimpse of Mon Mothma, Generals Rieekan, Dodonna and Madine and Admiral Ackbar waiting for them inside. The doors closed after them with a definite hiss.  
  
Han wrapped his arm around Leia's shoulders and hugged her tight to his chest. She seemed frozen on the spot after what she had seen waiting for her father and brother in the conference room.  
  
"There's nothing else we can do now, except wait for them." He looked at the closed doors. "Damn it! It won't be a court-martial, but it looks like it, now more than ever! And those two knew all along. Double damn!" He clenched his teeth in anger and frustration.  
  
Leia buried her face in her beloved's chest for a few moments. But then, she straightened up, took a deep breath and became the determined, indomitable leader of the Alliance she had always been.  
  
"Let's wait in there," she pointed at the little waiting room directly in front of the conference room. She didn't want to be too far away from them. She wouldn't let them down, not even now, when there was nothing she could do to help her brother ... and her father. But the time would come and then ... they would hear her out, all right! They would hear out all of them!  
  
Han nodded and never releasing her, they entered the small waiting room. It only had a few seats, a small, unnecessary table in the exact centre of the chamber and four lovely pictures hanging from the walls. They flopped down on the surprisingly comfortable seats. It was going to be a long wait, but they were ready to wait for as long as it took. They exchanged worried glances in silence. They couldn't stop thinking about what Luke and Anakin would be facing at that very moment.  
  
  
  
Anakin and Luke Skywalker walked along the corridor that ended in front of a long, old wooden table, beautifully carved. Mon Mothma was sitting at the centre of the table. On her right sat Admiral Ackbar and General Crix Madine. On her left, and staring at both of them unashamedly, sat Generals Rieekan and Dodonna.  
  
"Good morning, gentlemen," Mon Mothma greeted them. She looked serious but cordial, and father and son felt a bit more at ease.  
  
"Good morning," they answered courteously, almost at the same time.  
  
"Please, sit down," she invited them.  
  
Anakin and Luke complied and sat down on two comfortable chairs that were placed beside each other and right in front of the table, several feet away from it. They were in the spotlight, literally, for a beam of light illuminated them directly from above. It was a soft, light blue glow that didn't hurt the eyes.  
  
"First of all," Mon Mothma went straight to the point, as was her custom, "I want to apologize for not receiving you last night as I promised. Right after I talked to Princess Leia and she informed me of the startling news, I realized this matter had to be handled very carefully and by the book. That's why I immediately sent for Admiral Ackbar and Generals Rieekan, Dodonna and Madine," she indicated them with a graceful wave of her hands. "A few hours' wait was in order until they arrived." She made a short pause, looking at them. "And I also surmised you would welcome a good night's rest, especially after what you must have gone through."  
  
Anakin and Luke nodded once, acknowledging Mon Mothma's foresight gratefully.  
  
There was another pause. Mon Mothma couldn't help staring for a moment at the strikingly handsome man who was sitting beside his son a few metres away from her. The physical resemblance between them both was uncanny. Even more uncanny than she ... It was impossible to deny they were father and son. And even more impossible to believe was the fact that this good- looking, sweet-eyed man was the person beneath Darth Vader's mask and armour and behind the abominable acts he had committed in the name of his Master and the Empire. But she had lived enough to know that appearances could be deceptive.  
  
Anakin met her eyes then and she felt an inner shudder running up and down her spine. His look of gentleness, compassion and infinite regret lanced through her heart like a knife. She knew right then and there and beyond any doubt that this man had to be reprieved. But there were some procedures that had to be followed first. A couple of her colleagues still had to be convinced and reassured of the necessity and convenience of having the former Darth Vader on their side. She had had a few disagreements with them in the past, involving some of her most outrageous pardons of several Imperial officers. She had always been right in the end, but that fact didn't seem to matter right now. Every single being was different, and this particular one beat them all. This man was going to put the Alliance's ideals to the test. But if they rose to the occasion, nothing would stand in their way then. They would be able to give the galaxy the lasting peace it had been denied for much too long.  
  
"There's much to discuss and much to understand," she began, interlacing her fingers and bending forward. "This Council's decision is deceptively simple. To reprieve you or to convict you. The point is that we must be absolutely certain we will be doing the right thing. We've reprieved a number of Imperial officers in the past, but I'm sure you'll agree with me your importance within the Empire is only inferior to Palpatine. You're directly responsible for the taking of millions of lives. Justice for those who have been silenced forever cannot be forgotten. But, if we are going to reprieve you and back you up until the end, there has to be no doubt whatsoever in our minds about your intentions and feelings. And where your loyalties lie now. And those will be very difficult to establish."  
  
Anakin blinked. He didn't know where to start. He felt helpless. How could he possibly convince them of who he was, of what he felt? He had committed unthinkable crimes, he had hunted down and unmercifully slaughtered too many to present himself before the leaders of the Rebellion and say: 'I'm good now, cross my heart!' The Alliance's president was right. To establish his good intentions was going to be almost impossible. A huge leap of faith would be essential on the Alliance's part. And they would have to be ready to abide by their decision until its last consequences. He almost smiled at the implied irony. The Alliance, ready to defend Lord Vader from their own allies! The implications of a possible pardon were going to be too far-reaching. Maybe it could even endanger the Alliance's position or even backfire on them!  
  
'You keep on focusing on the negative, Father. Be positive; believe! Help me, help us!' Luke's soft mind-voice intruded upon his thoughts.  
  
Anakin gave a small start and pulled himself together. Luke was right. He kept on forgetting himself. He had to believe in his right to be reprieved. He had to help those people see he could be useful and that his contribution could make the New Republic stronger. They had much to learn from each other, there was so much to be gained!  
  
But where to start, what to say? He was completely at a loss.  
  
General Dodonna spoke then.  
  
"I'm aware this is a very difficult situation for you. You probably think there's no way you can convince us of your sincerity or why you have changed sides so dramatically. You were Darth Vader, and the acts you have committed over the last couple decades speak for themselves. How could you possibly make us see beyond those atrocities?" he softly tore at his white beard and looked at Anakin with something akin to compassion. He had also looked into the big man's gentle eyes, and he was old enough to recognize what there was in them. "To begin with, my question would be: "What was the catalyst for you to renounce that which you had faithfully served for so long? What was the reason for you to realize the crimes you had committed and your decision to turn back from your former way of life?"  
  
Anakin sighed and closed his eyes. He was grateful for this questioning. It was going to give an answer to many pending issues inside him he didn't know how or didn't dare to face. He had the feeling he was going to learn many truths about himself this morning, just as many as the Alliance was about to find out.  
  
"The reason why I turned is sitting here next to me," he began, looking at his son, who returned his brief glance with adoration. "For over 20 years I had been walking a path of blood and Darkness. When I found out I had a child, something inside me began to change against my conscious will. I resisted for as long as I could, but in the end, there was no escape."  
  
"You mean that none of the thousands of children you murdered over the years ever moved your heart, but when you found out you had a child of your own, that made all the difference? As simple as that?" Madine asked, with brutal precision.  
  
A sharp pain crossed Anakin's chest, but he forced himself to recover. This was just the beginning and he would have to endure it. His past would return to torment him for the rest of his life. He had to accept the crimes he had committed and learn to live with them, as impossible as it could be.  
  
"Essentially, yes," he admitted, his voice dripping shame and self- contempt. "You must understand that when I chose to become Darth Vader, I renounced everything I had been before. I had no past. Just present and future. There were no links to my earlier life. No love, no emotional attachments, none of that unwanted weakness ..." he bit his lower lip in disgust. "I killed, I destroyed in the name of the Emperor ... and my own. I didn't think, I didn't question my master because it felt the right thing to do. I was blinded by my own thirst of power, my hunger for revenge, my own mindless, insatiable greed for something that had no name; nothing existed beyond fulfilling those goals, never mind if I had to wipe out everyone who stood in my way. I existed this way for over 20 years. It was like a dark, narrow tunnel, full of dark promises of power at the end of it. I didn't bother to look at what I was leaving behind me. I didn't care." He swallowed nervously, and he tasted the vile flavour of the Darkness he had belonged to. "And when I found out about Luke, my past suddenly returned to haunt me. Memories I had buried forever resurfaced again. And ... feelings long forgotten began to torment me. I remembered how everything had been once, and how it could have been. And then I began questioning my way of life, wondering about the path I had chosen. And it angered me beyond reason", he looked down. He was very aware of what he was saying, and he knew his next words could very well cost him his son's love. But Luke was entitled to know, he had earned that right a million times over. His son would have to accept him, being fully aware of who was the person who had sired him. How ugly, loathsome and hideous he had been. "I focused all that anger on my son. I blamed him for my sudden weakness. I longed to be with him and I hated myself for it. I was disgusted by my weakness and yet, I relentlessly searched for him, but for other reasons than Palpatine. Luke ... seemed to hold all my answers."  
  
Luke was staring at his father with his mouth hanging open. He was listening to his explanations with fascinated horror. His father's implacable search for him for over two endless years made more sense now than ever. He had been fighting against himself since the very moment he had learnt he had a son. Anakin had longed for him from the beginning. The goodness inside him had been struggling to come out again for that long. His heart seemed to swell and explode inside his chest. His father had wanted him even then! That was the only thing he could think about.  
  
"Until everything came to an end in Cloud City," Anakin finished ominously. "When I finally found myself face to face with him, I ... lost my mind. I felt as if I was looking at myself in a mirror, at what my life could have been like ... at what I had lost. And my hatred returned, a million times more powerful. Luke had softened me, he had made me want ... He was to blame!" He clenched his teeth. "But despite my anger, I still wanted him beside me. My very blood was calling for him. There was no way out ... for us," he sighed. "I was too far gone to have any other choice left. My soul wasn't mine anymore. Luke would have to turn and come with me," he looked down at his hands for a moment, before finding the courage to look up again and meet the eyes of those who were judging him. "But he preferred to die before joining me. And something inside me snapped that day. I didn't know what was happening to me. I felt old, tired, apathetic. The ensuing months I merely existed, waiting for the time our paths crossed again. And cross they did."  
  
"I don't understand," Madine interrupted Anakin's words. "If you never intended to change, then how come you're sitting before us today?"  
  
Anakin took a deep breath and braved the General's perplexed blue eyes.  
  
"Because my son's life stood in the balance," he replied passionately. "When it became obvious that Luke wouldn't give in to the Emperor's temptations and Palpatine proceeded to kill him before my eyes, I knew that the only thing that prevented me from joining him was ... myself. All I had to do was renounce to what I had been for over twenty years. If my son still could accept me and forgive me after what I had done to him, maybe I could come to live with myself ... one day." He met Madine's eyes squarely. He looked much older then. "I suppose in the end it is that simple. I only had to find a reason to change, a reason strong enough to tear me away from the Darkness I had willingly abandoned myself to. And my son was my price."  
  
There was a long, awed silence that Anakin broke some time later.  
  
"I don't intend to give you any excuses for my actions when I was Darth Vader. There is no justification whatsoever for my crimes. I was a mass murderer, I relished in every life I took and I became a master in several methods of torture. I took the lives of helpless men, women and children without second thoughts." He took a shaky breath. He disgusted himself so much right now he felt like throwing up. The shame and guilt were so immense he thought he would go insane. "I'll have to live with what that monster did for the rest of my life. I'll have to go to sleep every single day of my life with the screams of the people I killed, resounding in my mind; with the horrified cries of the friends and relatives of those I slaughtered before their eyes, with their faces imprinted in my mind." His eyes reddened helplessly then, but he was determined not to shed one single tear here today, and he would succeed! "Being alive is punishment enough, believe me. I wish I could die a dozen times for every life I took. I wish I could change myself for all those I murdered," he threw up his hands in an explosion of sheer despair. "But I can't! I can't and I'll have to live with that forever!" His hands fell on his lap, dejected.  
  
Luke's hand slowly appeared before Anakin's vision and tenderly clasped his. He held it back desperately. His son still wanted him. Even after this! Bless the child! He took the smaller hand between both of his reverently, cherishing their bond with all his heart.  
  
"I feel helpless," Anakin's voice sounded suddenly hoarse. "Words are so limited, they mean so many different things I know that what I'm trying to convey is not what you are understanding by them; it's all so subjective." He felt infinitely tired. "There are moments when I think horror and guilt are going to kill me or drive me mad. And I wish I could die to release myself from the burden of my own life. It would certainly save you, and myself, a lot of pain and trouble. But then," he instinctively looked down at his and Luke's clasped hands, "I look at my children and at their friends. They all have forgiven me! I've tortured them, chased them implacably for years. I've killed and taken away from them friends, relatives and people they loved. I've committed obscene, unspeakable acts towards them, towards thousands of people, that have defiled me as a sentient being. I've degraded myself to a degree that no one will ever know." He swallowed again and made a grimace at the bitter taste. "And yet, despite everything, I feel I still have something to give. There's this warm, sweet light inside me that seems to indicate the right path. For the first time in my life, I know where my future lies, what I can become, with all your help." He squeezed Luke's hand, desperately asking for his support. He needed it now more than ever. He immediately felt his son returning the pressure tenfold. "I need to atone for my crimes somehow. In any way I can! I know I can't bring back all those I murdered, but I can save other lives, just as precious as the ones I took. I can help you to rebuild what I helped to destroy. I can help my son to bring back the Jedi Order I exterminated. We can find a way, all of us, together." He gasped for breath and went on. "I know you'll be taking a huge risk should you decide to reprieve me. It's an undeniable possibility. But if we succeed, it will be the best way to show the galaxy it can work out, that we all can coexist peacefully, working together for the greater good. We're stronger together," he met Mon Mothma's eyes and spoke with a passion as he had never known to possess. "I offer myself to you in any way you deem fit. I'll accept anything you decide to do with me." He was unashamedly begging now. "Please, give me the chance to put right what I did wrong. Let me try to make up for my crimes. Allow me to be a father for my children. Allow me to redeem myself; help me to get my dignity, my humanity back!"  
  
Luke closed his eyes and bit his lips. The pain he was experiencing was unlike anything he had ever felt. His father's speech had broken his heart. His quiet acceptance of his destiny amazed him. He had just placed his very life in the Alliance's hands. He stared at his anguished face and at that moment, he thought he couldn't possibly admire him and love him more. He looked at the shocked faces of the people sitting in front of him. They had to see! Force, let them see! He squeezed his father's hand tight.  
  
Mon Mothma couldn't tear her eyes away from Anakin's. His words had moved her to her very core. He had touched her deeper than she thought she could be touched. His tortured soul and sincere repentance struck a chord with her. The empathy she felt with his plight and his feelings was almost eerie. And her determination grew in geometrical progression, only with a flash of insight now. Anakin would be vital for the reconstruction of the Republic. Somehow, she could see it very clearly. A bright future awaited them, if only they had the courage to reach out and take it. Yanking her look away from Anakin's heartbreaking eyes, she turned to her colleagues. Some of them were swallowing hard, slowly recovering from Anakin's heartrending plea.  
  
Admiral Ackbar spoke then.  
  
"You may think we haven't completely understood your words, not the way you intended to convey, and I know what you mean. Every person's experiences determine their way of understanding things and reacting to them. We're all prisoners of our own subjectivity. But I'm sure we all here agree that you're not the man you used to be. Darth Vader would have never spoken the way you have. I'm looking at you right now and I can't believe you were that walking horror who left a path or murder and destruction behind him. You have changed. We all can see it," his big yellow eyes stared at Anakin for a long moment and he nodded to himself. Yes, he knew now what he had to do.  
  
General Rieekan had been silent since Anakin and Luke had entered the room. He was a man of few words. He preferred actions to speak for themselves. But he had listened intently to Anakin's words. He also was of the opinion that words could be misinterpreted and two people could draw two completely different conclusions from the same speech. That was why he had paid very close attention to Anakin's every gesture. His eyes, the movement of his hands, his entire body's stance. There was a language of the body that could be just as revealing as a full confession. As they say: an image is worth a thousand words. And through those unmistakable signs, he had come to the conclusion that Anakin Skywalker didn't lie. He had honestly repented of the crimes he had committed and he was placing his future in their hands, in the hope they made the right decision. He was actually passing on to them the responsibility of his own life! He couldn't believe what that man had just done, what his words really implied. When the shock began receding, he smiled to himself as he watched his colleagues' faces. From completely different processes, all of them seemed to have come to the same decision.  
  
But still one voice remained to be heard. He already knew what that voice was going to say, he only had to look at their tightly clasped hands to know, but it would be interesting to hear what Luke Skywalker had to say. There was a lot to respect and a lot to learn about that kind and gentle young man. He had grown up a lot since they had first met four years ago. He had paid the price of knowledge with the loss of his innocence. But somehow, the father seemed to have restored to the son the innocence he had taken away from him. He couldn't imagine how such a thing could be possible, but they were the living proof that love could survive and conquer anything. Luke Skywalker could be in his early twenties, but sometimes, he looked as old and wise as Time itself. And now that he thought about it, the same could be said about his father. Both of them had survived something very few beings, if any, had ever been privileged or cursed enough to endure. But they had survived against all odds, stronger and closer than ever, and they deserved a second chance, together. He turned his eyes to the young man.  
  
"Commander Skywalker, is there anything you want to say?" he softly invited.  
  
Luke's eyes shifted from his father's emotionally exhausted form, to each and every one of them. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then, a determined look appeared in his eyes. He let go of his father's hand with infinite tenderness and turned to them with something akin to open challenge.  
  
"As a matter of fact, I do," he began softly. Too softly. "Forgive my bluntness, but I'm a soldier, not a diplomat as my sister." He stood up and approached them. "We all know what's really being decided here today. We're not only talking about my father's freedom, but the entire galaxy's, and what my father's freedom could entail to both. I'm aware you'll be taking a tremendous risk if you decide to reprieve him, but there were no qualms whatsoever when other Imperial officers were granted the same privilege. Vaughan Worthwing, Commander Thazzel or Lieutenant Urlitt come to mind. None of them regretted, at first, the crimes they had committed in the name of the Empire. But in time, they came to understand and they joined us willingly." His intense blue eyes met Mon Mothma's. "You believed in them, you believed they had the potential to be redeemed; and you were right. You never cared about the amount of crimes they had committed, you simply looked at what lay in their hearts. You made brave and just command decisions. All I ask of you is that you are just as brave to reprieve my father. He deserves the same justice. Let's not make an exception just because the name Darth Vader is too well-known across the galaxy and the decision to reprieve him could be unpopular and uncomfortable, even dangerous. My father has already changed. All you have to do is look into his eyes to see the truth." He looked down at his boots for a moment and took a deep breath. He faced them again. "We're not only judging my father here today. On judging him, we're judging ourselves and our deepest beliefs, the very principles the Alliance was founded on. Let's not be fearful to make a decision so important! Let's make our decision because we believe in it, not for its eventual repercussions. If we start compromising now, we'll have no future. Let's show the galaxy we're not afraid to forgive our worst enemy. Implacable in battle, generous in victory. My father was the incarnation of the Empire. Through his pardon we'll be conveying that true forgiveness is possible, that there is a place for all of us in this galaxy, even for those who have committed mass murder and repented for their crimes. And I'm not only talking about my father right now," Luke said, referring to himself quite intentionally. A second later, he saw the shocked expressions on the faces of the five people he had before him, as the meaning of his last words registered. "His pardon could even be the hint for many reluctant Imperial officers and sympathizers to join us. If they see us working together side by side, they'll see true cooperation is possible to rebuild our lives in peace, instead of prolonguing this destructive conflict forever. It is a huge, far-reaching decision, but it has to be made. And the time is here and now!" He finished, passionately. His eyes moved from one of his father's judges to the other, trying to convey his deep belief in his words by sheer force of will.  
  
A long, deafening, astonished silence followed the young man's words.  
  
"Nothing stands in our way," Luke's voice was surprisingly softer. His speech had drained him completely. "Palpatine is dead. My father killed him to save my life. Please, don't give up on him now! He's abandoned everything to follow me, to be with me and with my sister, with all of us. The Alliance is his home now. Let's take him in, let's embrace his future, the way we've embraced the future of all those we've reprieved in the past. He deserves our courage and our determination to defend him. Give yourselves the opportunity to get to know him and learn from him. He's got so much to give! He's bared his soul to us. His pain and remorse are so immense. Let's heal him, let's heal each other! It is the only way." He put out his hands, palms up, in a universal gesture of peace offering and understanding. He met his counterparts' eyes one by one, openly pleading. He stepped back and collapsed on his chair beside his father. He felt so tired! He felt as if he had been fighting the Empire single-handed for days.  
  
Anakin turned his head and watched his son with tears in his eyes. No matter if he lived a million years, he wouldn't forget his words for as long as he lived. He never thought anyone could go so far in his defence. So brave, so upright and decent! What had he ever done to deserve such a son?  
  
Luke's eyes turned to his father and smiled weakly at him. Anakin reached out and grasped Luke's forearm. The boy looked so young now! He seemed like a desperate lost waif, waiting helplessly for the proverbial other shoe to drop. Anakin smiled comfortingly at him. He would never be more proud of him than he felt right now. Beautiful, courageous child!  
  
'I don't care what happens to me now, Son. What you've just done for me outweighs everything I never thought one being could possibly do for another. I only hope one day I'll be worthy of what you did today.'  
  
'I do care about what happens to you! I won't have peace until I see you walking out of this room as a free man', Luke's eyes were full of uncertainty and trepidation.  
  
'I already am. You just set me free.' Anakin stroked Luke's arm. He felt like crying of love. Luke had restored his dignity and his honour in front of the Alliance's leaders. He had fought for them and he had given them back to him. He would never receive a more precious gift.  
  
Luke's eyes raised up to his father's and slowly filled with tears.  
  
'Father ...' he was at a loss for words, even within his mind.  
  
'My Luke ...' Anakin smiled tenderly, knowing and feeling what Luke couldn't verbalize.  
  
The sudden silence in the room brought them back to the present. Until then, there had been the sound of soft whispers and the soft brush of clothes, but the abrupt, almost brutal silence, made them turn their heads and face the five people who were about to decide on Anakin's future.  
  
Mon Mothma adopted a serene, dignified stance. She interlaced her fingers once again in her accustomed gesture and bent forward, getting a few inches closer to the two men, whose hearts were racing in their chests.  
  
"As you can see, our deliberation has been pretty quick." The familiarity of her words made Luke's and Anakin's hearts skip several beats. Were they detecting an undercurrent of ... amusement in her accent? "To be honest, we had practically made up our minds before you even got in here. Some of us still needed a little push in the right direction, but all of that has been already sorted out, thanks to your candid, honest, righteous speeches." She seemed to smile to herself then. "And, being honest until the bitter end, we also have a confession to make and a big apology to give you. Not only to the two of you, but also to Generals Solo and Calrissian, Princess Leia and our priceless Wookie." As unbelievable as it could seem, a soft flush covered her face, as if she was ashamed of her next words. "We must confess we have been spying on you. There were bugging devices both in the mess and in Commander Skywalker's room." She swallowed hard. "It has been an unforgivable and obscene thing to do, to intrude upon your privacy and listen to private conversations we had absolutely no business to, but we had to be certain of your true intentions. You are aware of just how very much is at stake here. The end will never justify the means, and you have my word we have never attempted such a dirty thing before. But we had no way to know Vader had truly turned back. Indeed, we had no reason to believe why he would do that, not even for his children, unless it was one of his well-known and perfectly designed plots to infiltrate the groups he intended to destroy. And what a better place than the Alliance's very core?" she addressed Anakin now. "You could have perfectly manipulated their minds and made them bring you here. I lived in the Old Republic and I'm old enough to remember some Jedi mind tricks you were all so acclaimed for." The shame returned again. "The open, straightforward conversation you had in the mess, before and after you left ..." she looked at Anakin again, "... and your conversation with your son in his room were enough to convince us, although some of us still had our reservations about the fairness of reprieving you. That was as far as we went in our spying. Please, understand we needed to have a little edge on you."  
  
Anakin's and Luke's faces couldn't possibly reveal more surprise and shock than they already did. They opened and closed their mouths like two fishes. They had to admit it had been yet another master-plan, devastating in its childish simplicity, on the Alliance's part. One that they couldn't, in good conscience, resent. Their feelings had been hurt and they felt betrayed and exposed, but both of them were intelligent enough to realize it had been necessary. Sometimes, you have to put yourself in the others' place and put your own feelings aside before judging them. Mon Mothma was right. They had no way to know, from Leia's startling transmission from Endor the night before to this very moment, they weren't dealing with a very elaborate trap. They were at war, and unfortunately for the entire galaxy, that explained it all.  
  
Father and Son looked at each other and in just a few seconds, they seemed to say everything to each other through their eyes. They nodded at one another with a soft smile, and turned to them.  
  
"We understand," Anakin simply said. "We're at war and in that state, we're forced to do things and resort to tactics beyond our principles. War is immoral in itself. We understand what you did and why, and we agree it was necessary."  
  
The five people at the table heaved a furtive sigh of relief. It was obvious none of them approved of such dirty tactics and they felt unworthy for having resorted to them.  
  
"Thank you for your understanding," Mon Mothma smiled at them, gratefully. "All the bugging devices have already been disabled." She made a disgusted face that clearly showed her opinion about what she had been forced to do. "Now, back to the matter at hand," she met their eyes squarely then, "our decision was practically made since last night. Some of us were still reluctant, but humanly and morally, we are bound to treat you the same way we've treated all the other Imperial prisoners." She looked at the younger Skywalker with newfound respect and admiration. "You were right. I never cared about the number of crimes a person had committed, I just tried to look through them and see whether they could still recognize where truth and justice lay. I've reprieved people who, at first sight, were unredeemable, but I felt there was a core of decency and morality in them and I trusted that, eventually, truth would reveal itself to them and they would be brave and honest enough to acknowledge it." She took a deep breath and went on, addressing Anakin now. "From what I learned last night, it became obvious you had already travelled the same path as those officers." Her face darkened suddenly. "I won't deny there's a huge risk involved. Should we reprieve you, we could earn the enmity of many of our own allies, and it could seriously undermine our credibility within certain circles. It's not fair, but 'nobody' Lieutenant Urlitt, with all due respect, doesn't stir as many feelings of aversion, hostility and downright hatred in the public as Darth Vader. Many voices will rise against our decision. But justice has to be done, above all things. If we start compromising now, we will be compromising forever and we'll be making the same mistake the Old Republic did, and we will suffer the same fate. Besides, it's absurd, and impossible, to seek to satisfy everybody. We can't make a decision because it's politically correct or to satisfy the majority. We have to make a decision because it's the right thing to do, come what may. The Alliance is not the galaxy's avenger, but the galaxy's hope. We want to put an end to this war as soon as possible and make of this galaxy a place of peace and tolerance." She took a deep breath. "They say the best way to demonstrate one's intentions is to set an example. And we will be up to the challenge. I also have the feeling, as Commander Skywalker, that you could very well hold the key to this bloody war. It's time for us to make a powerful decision we can be proud of, now and forever. To show all those who care to see beyond outward appearances the Alliance doesn't shrink from making command decisions of this magnitude and significance when they consider them just and right. Time will prove us right. I am ... we are that certain of you and what lies in your heart." Her brown eyes met Anakin's, and they were ablaze now. She looked at each of her colleagues and after receiving an energetic nod from every single one of them, they raised to their feet as one. Mon Mothma looked at Anakin, in full command mode now. She looked impressive, almost regal in her awesome dignity. At that moment, she became the spiritual and strategic leader of the Alliance, who had faced and fought the mighty Empire and was on the very verge of defeating it.  
  
Anakin and Luke immediately stood at attention.  
  
The time had come.  
  
"Anakin Skywalker," her soft voice was full of authority and it seemed to echo on the hall's walls, "it is the unanimous decision of this Council to reprieve you. You will therefore hold the same rights and obligations as every free being within the Alliance from now on. This Council will reconvene at a later date to decide on what rank you will be given in our fleet."  
  
Luke had grasped Anakin's wrist at Mon Mothma's mention of his father's name, and he almost crushed all the bones in it when the words of his father's pardon came out of her mouth.  
  
Anakin closed his eyes to hold back the explosion of feelings that surged up from deep inside him. He couldn't sort them out, he couldn't even put a name to them; he could only experience them one by one and rejoice, not only in his own emotions, but in the overwhelming tide of equally exultant feelings coming from his boy.  
  
Luke felt dizzy. Every possible emotion seemed to have gathered together around him and they were choking him blissfully. Tears of never before known happiness filled his eyes and he swallowed them hard. It was not the time to burst out crying. They would have time enough to cry to their hearts' content later. This was the moment their entire lives had been heading for. The Alliance's incredibly brave act of faith and courage had saved them both, and it had marked a new beginning, not only for the Alliance's future, but for the whole galaxy's. He could feel it now with as much certainty as he felt the soft tremor in his father's body. Finally, for the first time in his life, or at least, since he could remember, he knew the true meaning of the word peace. Peace and contentment as no being could have possibly experienced before him.  
  
But Mon Mothma wasn't through, yet.  
  
"Commander Skywalker," she intoned, and Luke shook himself out of his musings and focused his complete attention on her, a bit surprised she was addressing him now, "it is also decision of this Council that you are to be promoted and decorated for bravery, not only in battle, something you have repeatedly demonstrated over the years, but for your even more awesome bravery in your decision to face Palpatine. Your action not only released us all from all the years of tyranny we had suffered, but it also made possible the redemption of the Alliance's second worst enemy. Your heroism in facing and conquering not only your own demons, but the demons inside your father, demanded an even greater courage than joining battle."  
  
Luke gave a small start at the totally unexpected speech. This was the least he would have expected! His mouth fell open.  
  
Anakin watched his son, bursting with pride. For the first time, he felt he had done right by staying alive, if only to help the Alliance to acknowledge the priceless value of this incredible young man he had sired. Just then, he remembered the ace he had up his sleeve, almost literally.  
  
"This Council will reconvene at a more appropriate time, when a suitable ceremony can be performed," were Mon Mothma's final words, that gave the meeting an unequivocal sense of closure. "Is there anything you want to say, before I adjourn this meeting?" she asked the two men who still stood at attention before her.  
  
"As a matter of fact, I do," Anakin answered, raising his eyebrows when he realized he had used his son's very words from a few minutes ago. "There is something I would like to give you." He put his fingers into a small pocket in his top and took out a small disk. He met Mon Mothma's eyes, asking for her permission to approach them. At her immediate nod, he stepped forward.  
  
"What's that?" she asked.  
  
"A detailed list of Imperial names, places and codes. Most of them were only known by Palpatine and myself. I am certain the information in this disk will help you put this bloody war to an end much sooner."  
  
Mon Mothma stared at the disk Anakin held out to her with something akin to reverence. But when she reached out her hand to take it, Anakin surprised her by moving his hand away. She looked up at him in confusion.  
  
"I have a request to make first," his voice was firm and unwavering all of a sudden, and everybody remembered then they were dealing with the Commander of the Imperial fleet.  
  
Mon Mothma met his eyes. Even with his apparently unyielding tone of voice, his eyes remained gentle and soothing, even somewhat apprehensive. She nodded her head slowly, inviting him to go on.  
  
"I need your word that all Imperial soldiers will be reprieved." He made a short pause. "I know of several officers who relish bloodshed and have no qualms or guilt feelings about obliterating helpless civilian populations, and don't know the meaning of the words remorse and compassion. Those are the names that are listed on this disk. I added them so that you know what to expect when the time comes. But most Imperial soldiers and officers are good people whose only crime is having no choice but to follow orders from the wrong Commander." A self-depreciating expression crossed his features momentarily. "I want your word that there will be no reprisals taken against them once the war is over."  
  
Mon Mothma's eyes never left Anakin's and a soft, understanding smile appeared on her features. She knew very well what Anakin was talking about, and what his feelings were. At that moment, they were addressing each other as two equals, two leaders with a huge responsibility on their shoulders and many innocent lives depending on them.  
  
"You have my word," she promised solemnly.  
  
Anakin nodded and with a little smile of relief and gratitude, he handed her the disk. Then, he reached out to her.  
  
Mon Mothma looked down at Anakin's proffered hand for a couple seconds and then, without hesitation, she shook it.  
  
"Be welcome," she said, simply.  
  
"Thank you. Thank you so very much," Anakin answered. His voice quivered with barely restrained emotion.  
  
When they let go of each other's hands with a parting glance full of mutual respect, Anakin reached out his hand to all the high-ranking officers sitting at the table. When he came up before Admiral Ackbar, he offered him the Mon Calamary salute, to the Admiral's delighted surprise.  
  
Meanwhile, Luke had also walked up to the table and he had stretched out his hand to Mon Mothma. His blue eyes shone with overwhelming joy and gratitude he couldn't disguise. She took it between both of hers and shook it heartily.  
  
"We all knew you have a heart of gold, young man, but it is obvious you have even more hidden depths," she softly said.  
  
Luke tried to control his instinctive blush. He had never felt very comfortable around compliments, so he just looked at her, a bit dazed.  
  
"Take good care of him," she told him softly, nodding in Anakin's direction.  
  
Luke's breast filled with pride when he looked at his father beside him.  
  
"I will," he promised. "And he will take good care of me too. Of all of us." His voice was silky and full of affection for his father.  
  
"I know," she replied with a smile. She was enormously pleased to see Luke so content. There had always been an air of melancholy and sad longing about him. He didn't seem to notice and he had always looked happy enough amongst his friends, but that indefinite air of sadness was most definitely there, as if it was an integral part of his personality. Only now that it had completely disappeared from him, she understood what it was. It was obvious his father had fulfilled that desperate longing. And the most beautiful thing was that it worked both ways.  
  
They looked at each other for another moment before letting go of each other's hands. Luke then proceeded to shake the hands of all the other senior officers. When he walked up to General Dodonna, he found him engaged in a short, openly friendly conversation with his father.  
  
"Ah, young one! Well done!" the old General smiled at Luke when he saw him at Anakin's side. He shook Luke's hand enthusiastically. "You are the living image of your father. The Alliance will be proud to back him up. This is the best decision we'll ever make."  
  
Luke nodded and braved the General's eyes.  
  
"Yes, it is. It is an amazingly brave decision that does us credit. I've never been more proud to serve the Alliance than I am now," his face was shining.  
  
General Dodonna's expression became suddenly serious.  
  
"You know what?" he told Anakin and Luke as he gestured to them to come closer, as if he was about to reveal his biggest secret. When they bent closer to him, he dropped the bomb. "Me too!"  
  
The three of them let out a gentle laugh.  
  
"Oh, well!" the old General tore softly at his beard, lost in thought. "There is a lot to do now. This is the turning point of this horrible war. The information you gave us will help immeasurably to end it as quickly as possible. Our work as diplomats has just begun."  
  
Anakin nodded and pointed at the disk Mon Mothma held in her hand.  
  
"You will also find the names of the best Imperial officers to contact with. And I have the feeling it will be very soon now."  
  
Luke stared up at his father, bursting with pride.  
  
"The best officers, but not the best," the words came out of his mouth unbidden.  
  
Dodonna laughed heartily then.  
  
"Ahhh, hero worship! I recognize that look when I see it. I can understand why you couldn't resist it, my friend," he teased.  
  
Luke blushed and looked down. Anakin cast an affectionate glance at his son, placed his hand on his shoulder and looked at Dodonna.  
  
"Is it really that obvious how much I admire him?", he said.  
  
Luke raised his eyes immediately and looked at his father with his mouth hanging open. His face turned a bright crimson. His father had just turned the tables and placed himself as the subject of teasing. His eminently fatherly action spoke volumes. But the three of them could see Anakin hadn't done it just to protect his son, he seriously meant it. Luke didn't know where to look, so embarrassed he felt.  
  
The commlink buzzed all of a sudden. Mon Mothma acknowledged the call.  
  
"Mon Mothma here."  
  
"Top priority transmission from the Empire, your Excellency. Code 000," announced the unmistakable voice of Areen Worzzlek.  
  
Everybody froze on the spot. Such a transmission could only mean one thing. Their hearts started fluttering in their chests with the sweet hope of imminent peace.  
  
"Acknowledged. We're on our way," she cut off the communication.  
  
"The Empire is falling apart. They have no leader to take over now that it has been doubly beheaded. A truce is the only way out before an internal conflict breaks out to take Palpatine's place", Anakin summarized the situation impeccably.  
  
Mon Mothma stared at him and nodded. She looked up at the ceiling, took a deep breath and released it in a blow.  
  
"Their peace offering anticipated ours for a few hours." She looked down and offered them all a devastating smile. "Gentlemen, the moment we have prayed so much for has finally come." She looked at Anakin and Luke. "You may leave now," she told them gently. "We have a lot to do and time is precious at the moment."  
  
Anakin stepped forward.  
  
"If there's something I can do to help ... Perhaps knowing I'm on the Alliance's side will smooth the tension and bridge the differences."  
  
Mon Mothma smiled at Anakin and nodded. She looked more focused and self- assured than they had ever seen her. The prospect of a cease-fire had brought a radiance and a liveliness to her entire stance that was incredibly compelling. Her charismatic aura was irresistible.  
  
"You are the ace up my sleeve. I am more certain than ever that you will be the key to peace." She seemed to consider something very quickly. "I'll send for you later. Now go and celebrate the news with your children and your friends," she smiled broadly in encouragement.  
  
Luke and Anakin realized she was giving them a break before the exhausting negotiations and the nerve-wracking upcoming weeks of diplomatic give and take began. Four years of war had taken its toll on all of them, and the weeks that lay ahead would be just as distressing. But the promise of a bright, peaceful future made them face those trying diplomatic sessions with renewed strength and optimism. The two men bowed their heads respectfully and, shoulder to shoulder, they left the conference room.  
  
When the doors closed behind them, Anakin and Luke stopped in their tracks. With their backs to the doors, they stood frozen on the spot. Their breathing rate accelerated suddenly.  
  
"My legs are trembling," Anakin confessed, staring at the wall directly in front of him.  
  
"Mine too," Luke replied, looking ahead. He swallowed hard and summoned up his courage to ask for the only thing he needed, even more desperately than screaming for all he was worth. "Please, Father, hold me or I will collapse."  
  
Anakin needed a hug as desperately as his son. All the accumulated tension had disappeared all at once and it had left in its wake a path of broken nerves and raw, naked feelings that cried out to be soothed and cradled. Blindly, he reached out to his child and crushed his smaller body to him.  
  
At the sound of opening doors, all the beings in the waiting room practically jumped out of their seats as if burned. The wait had been unbearable. They had talked about banalities, they had cracked feeble jokes and, at the end, they had discussed the many possibilities. What would they do if the worst happened, how would they face it and how would it affect their loyalty to the Alliance. Leia felt nothing coming from Luke and she gathered he had closed their incipient link to spare her his emotions during the meeting. She didn't know what had kept her sane during the intolerable wait. When they heard the doors closing, they held their breath, waiting to hear the sound of footsteps heading for the waiting room. When they heard no sound whatsoever, they looked at each other in confusion.  
  
Never being one to waste a single second when there was an easy way to find out what was going on, Han stood up and went out to the corridor. The others followed him out immediately.  
  
The sight they found made their hearts sink. Anakin and Luke were holding each other and crying openly. Luke had buried his face in his father's shoulder and he was clinging to him desperately, his body shaking occasionally with helpless sobs. Anakin was softly stroking Luke's head, his fingers sliding through his hair and pressing him close. He seemed to be in as much need of comforting as Luke.  
  
They all looked at each other in despair. R2 whistled softly in his lower tones.  
  
Finally, plucking up her courage, Leia was the first to start walking towards them. She didn't know what she could possibly say to them, but she hoped her presence could help somewhat. She was terribly moved by the sight of ... her father holding Luke like that. It was such a beautiful sight in its heartbreaking desperation! He seemed such a loving father, so tender and caring! It formed a lump in her throat, especially when she remembered all his gentle fatherly overtures to her since the night before. She hoped one day she could enjoy being close to him without stiffening or feeling uncomfortable as she did now. She was improving, certainly. Now she could think of Anakin as her father instead of 'him'. She had even admitted how very much she needed him and needed to love him. She just needed time. But if they locked him up ...  
  
A pang of fear and resentment surged up from deep inside her. A feeling of betrayal and disappointment towards the Alliance. She had expected they would rise to the occasion, but it was obvious they had opted for the easiest way out instead of making a true command decision that would show the whole galaxy what they were truly made of. She hadn't expected such a terribly cowardly outcome. It was so unlike the Alliance she knew ...! It made no sense! Why to reprieve so many unrepentant Imperial officers and then convict another who had sincerely repented from his crimes beforehand? Just because his name happened to be Darth Vader? The Alliance had never ever used double standards when judging people. It couldn't be! The more she thought about it, the more impossible it seemed.  
  
She felt Han's loving arm around her shoulders and she heard his enraged grumbling as he walked beside her. Behind them, Lando and Chewie weren't bothering to hide their bitter disappointment either, and they were muttering angrily to themselves.  
  
Somehow, her friends' attitude heartened Leia. Maybe there was nothing they could do and maybe the verdict was irrevocable, but they would fight tooth and nail for her father's freedom! They were going to fight for what was right! They wouldn't just accept this decision as inevitable! They wouldn't stop until justice was done!  
  
As they got closer to them, Leia began noticing something strange in her father's and brother's attitude. They were crying, all right, but their crying didn't have that despaired quality following some terrible news. It felt more like ... relief, maybe? They seemed to be laughing too as they cried. They were laughing and crying at the same time! But what the devil was going on there?  
  
Leia looked up at Han and the others to verify she wasn't imagining things, and indeed she wasn't. Han, Lando, Chewie ... even the droids seemed as confused and befuddled as she was.  
  
They gathered around them both, very respectful of their extremely private moment, not daring to draw their attention, just waiting for them to come out of their highly emotional state and cast some light on their million questions.  
  
Some time later, Luke moved his head away from Anakin's shoulder. His face was all flushed and wet. He sniffled and looked at his friends with an incomprehensible expression. He seemed devastated, but he was smiling through his tears at the same time. He took several calming breaths and looked up at his father.  
  
Everybody looked at Anakin then. He was pretty much in Luke's same state, his face full of tear tracks, but there was also a soft glow about him.  
  
That was it! The situation was ridiculous! Han had no intention of prolonguing this torture one moment more.  
  
"Well, what gives?! What the hell happened in there?!" he asked in his usual and always welcome straightforward manner.  
  
Luke let out a choked laugh at Han's vehemence. He looked at Anakin with a question in his eyes and his father nodded at him to break the news to his friends. Luke turned to them, his eyes blazing with barely restrained emotion.  
  
"He's free!!" he cried out, exploding at last. "He's free and the war's over!! Mon Mothma just received a transmission from the Empire, Code 000. The horror's over!! We're all free!!" Luke was completely beside himself now. Tears streamed down his cheeks and he felt as if his soul was about to burst with exultant happiness. He was aware this wasn't the most appropriate behaviour for a Jedi Knight, but right now, he couldn't care less. Millions of beings had died because of that abomination. If peace wasn't worth a Jedi's breakdown, then nothing was.  
  
There was a second of silent, shocked disbelief. They had prepared themselves to expect the worst, and the best had happened. And not only as far as Anakin was concerned. The single best news the whole galaxy had known in many, many years, had happened at the same time. When Luke's words finally sank in, complete pandemonium broke out. Chewie burst out growling at the top of his voice, R2 beeped and whistled until he almost shattered his friends' eardrums, 3PO started babbling incoherently, Lando whooped like a madman, waving his fist in midair, Han looked up and shouted once, almost breaking his vocal chords, and Leia closed her eyes and bit her lower lip, almost drawing blood from it.  
  
After such a spontaneously childish, but all-too-understandable release, all of them immediately sought each other's warmth, to share and soak in the living presence of their beloved friends close to them, not only for mutual comfort, but also to make certain they were truly alive, safe and sound, and they had survived four endless years of sheer horror.  
  
Their heartfelt embrace also honoured all those who hadn't made it today. All of them were present in the laughing, crying and sobbing pile who desperately held on to one another. In a way, they went on living through them.  
  
After too many years, what should have never been lost, had finally been found again. They had learnt the most painful lesson of all. None of them would take that precious concept for granted again. Too much depended on it. It was life, it was freedom. It was everything.  
  
Its name was Peace.  
  
  
  
THE END  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
EPILOGUE  
  
  
  
Coruscant. Two months later. Terrace of the late Jedi Council. Sunset.  
  
Although it had been thoroughly changed and refurbished after two decades of ruthless tyranny, everybody remembered what it had been and what it had stood for in the still recent past, and for many centuries before. That was the reason why Mon Mothma and her new goverment had chosen it to make their first public appearance before the entire galaxy. It was a statement in itself.  
  
Millions of beings waited for them below. More beings than not even the oldest creature alive could remember ever gathering together for any event. They filled the streets to bursting, looking at the huge screens that covered what was about to happen from almost every angle.  
  
Finally, right on time, Mon Mothma and her entire goverment put in an appearance in the huge balcony. All of them were in full-dress uniform and they conveyed an air of self-confidence and integrity that felt like a promise to all those watching them this time peace was there to stay.  
  
It was an explosion of joy, unlike anything Coruscant had known for much too long.  
  
Softly placing her hands on the balaustrade, Mon Mothma looked down at the astounding sight, basking in the utter freedom it transmitted.  
  
In a fan-shape one step behind her, Mon Mothma's executive and all the top- ranking and recently promoted officers and heroes of the Alliance's many battles against the Empire stood at attention, equally moved and exultant.  
  
Filling her senses with the moment she had prayed so much for, Mon Mothma patiently waited for the shouting to subside, so she could deliver her first speech as the President of the New Republic. She hadn't prepared it beforehand. She was going to improvise, although she had a very good idea of what she wanted to say.  
  
When the crowd's thundering clamour calmed down, she stood there, staring at them, with a lump in her throat. For a terrifying instant, she felt the weight of the monumental responsibility she now held. An entire galaxy's wellfare depended on her and on all the people who formed her government. That terrifying moment brought with it a crushing feeling of vulnerability and instinct for protection towards all the billions of beings who were looking at her now from every corner of the galaxy, expecting her to protect them all, and not allowing another genocide like the one they had just survived to ever happen again. When the moment passed, she realized she wasn't alone in this endeavour. She had the best possible team beside her to share that responsibility with. And the whole galaxy would help them to take care of itself. All of them had learnt the lesson. They would treasure and cherish this newfound freedom as the priceless privilege it was. They would protect it at all levels and everywhere, from every single little home to the galaxy's higher instances.  
  
She took a deep breath and swallowed hard. She was only human, and she was rightfully nervous. She instinctively looked behind her, at all the people who stood at attention, resolutely backing her up, and she didn't feel alone anymore. She stared at each one of them one by one. Admiral Ackbar; Generals Calrissian, Dodonna, Madine, Rieekan, Solo; Areen Worzzlek, her counselor and voice of reason; Commander Thazzel; Princess Leia, her protegé and appointed successor ... all her staff, whom she trusted with her very life, and that included all the members from the defeated Empire. Her eyes covered them all until they finally settled on her new right hand and the New Republic's vice-president, General Anakin Skywalker, who stood, proud and gentle, right behind her, impressive in his navy blue dress uniform. Anakin's eyes were already waiting for hers, full of support and wordless encouragement. She nodded at him and he responded with an intense look of his incredible blue eyes and a tiny smile that infused her with renewed strength. She nodded again, reassured, and looked at the last person in the line, Captain Luke Skywalker. The young man stood beside his father, like a tiny version of him, but looking just as impressive and dignified. The boy returned her look and risked winking at her in a respectfully mischievous, confident way that immediately managed the desired effect. Mon Mothma's heavy state of mind lessened considerably. She smiled softly at him and turned ahead, facing the whole galaxy. She quietly cleared her throat.  
  
"Gentlebeings," she began in a steady, confident tone of voice, "we have gathered here together to celebrate the recovery of that which we should have never allowed ourselves to lose. Peace." She took a deep breath. "Along with that peace, we also lost our freedom. Freedom to think for ourselves, to make choices, to change, to grow. This nightmare has reminded us of just how very much these concepts depend on every single one of us to survive. We must keep that in mind every day of our lives and never forget it. We must never take them for granted or we will lose them again. And next time, we might not be so lucky." Her vords were clearly meant as a warning, a reminder of just how very much was at stake. "This time we have survived. Stronger, wiser, humbler and more aware of our frailty, pettiness and the evil that resides deep within all of us. But, above all, it has reminded us of our profound commitment to each other, whether we want to admit it or not." She made a pause and looked down, weighing their reaction. They were listening intently, absorbing every thought and taking it deeply into themselves, recognizing themselves in her words, as she did. It was the only way to make people understand. To speak from one's heart and from one's most honest feelings and convictions. People recognized the truth and they identified with other people's plights because, ultimately, everybody's problems, thoughts and feelings were the same. "This galaxy was once a place of wisdom and understanding," she went on, "and it will be so again. But it won't be easy. It'll require a huge effort on our part. After so many years of war and so many losses, all of us have reasons to hate, to feel resentful and be unwilling to forgive. But that's precisely what it's all about, and everything depends on it." She intensified her look to get her point across. "Our mistakes, our unacceptable conformism and self-complacency took us to the point of no return and allowed evil to rise. Now, we're the only ones who can close the wound and let it heal. Only our willingness to forgive can accomplish such a feat." She surged ahead with all her heart. "Let's give an opportunity to all those who have sincerely and publicly repented from their crimes and begged our forgiveness." She made a short pause, knowing everybody had to be looking at Anakin Skywalker now. His speech five weeks ago had been one of the most, if not the most important, heartwrenching moment of the whole negotiation. It had most certainly marked a milestone in the entire process. Anakin had made a statement before the whole galaxy and confessed the crimes he had committed under his former identity. His revelation had been a shock, to put it mildly, and they still hadn't heard the last of it. But Anakin had wanted no more secrets and after consulting his children and receiving their total support, he had gone ahead. And Mon Mothma could understand him. That was why right after his speech, she had made one of her own, declaring her unconditional support for Anakin and for all the Imperials who had also repented from their crimes, whether they were publicly known or not. She would make no distinctions. Next, she had revealed her intention to include Anakin in her goverment as a proof of her trust in him. Anakin's face at that moment had been quite a sight, but she had been adamant in her decision. And her intuition had served her right. Anakin was a delight to work with. His kindness, patience, insight, his modesty and his wise advice to both parties had been vital to reach an agreement with the Empire in record time. Many openly distrustful and hostile Imperials had ended up embracing the peace treaty wholeheartedly. After that, she had always made a point of calling everybody's attention to the fact that the achievement of the peace treaty had been mostly Anakin's deed. There was a long way to go, but she was positive Anakin would win everybody's hearts in time, the same way he had earned the respect of every single being who had met him in the last few weeks, even the most unforgiving ones. Her loyal and royally stubborn Areen Worzzlek could testify to that! It was just a matter of time. She had to admit that during the last few weeks Anakin had come a long way already as far as the public's opinion was concerned, against all odds. And she would help him every step of the way until the whole galaxy saw what many had already seen. She never let an opportunity escape to make her point clear. As just now. "They just want a chance to redeem themselves and prove their worth to us. And we are bound to give them that chance, because in their redemption lies ours. We've also committed atrocities in our fight against the Empire and we've earned the rightful hatred and anger of millions. Mutual forgiveness is paramount. Seeking revenge will take us nowhere and we will be caught up in another spiral of violence that will never end. Releasing our anger against those who commited those crimes will only bring more pain and destruction, and it won't bring our beloved dead back. We must learn to live with our losses and move on, in spite of how much we're hurting inside and how much anger we're feeling. We must let go of all those ugly feelings and work together rebuilding our lives, helping each other, comforting each other, being good to each other. It is the only way, and we know it." She looked at all the members of her government, a harmonic balance of Imperials and members of the Alliance, all lined up behind her. She smiled at them, bursting with pride. Then, she looked ahead again. "Look at us! We're working together for the greater good." She opened her arms wide, encompassing all those in the huge balcony and those looking at them from everywhere in the galaxy. "We're all sentient beings, we all care about the same things, we all want to live in peace. And yet, until a few weeks ago, we were seeking to destroy each other, taken to the brink of complete destruction by a madman's delusions of absolute power. He brought out the worst in all of us. But we realized where this conflict was heading and we were intelligent enough to stop fighting. And when we sat down to talk, we found out how simple everything was in the end. We only had to yield a little to reach an agreement satisfying to both parties. Working together as equals is the way. The key to success lies in our hearts and in our hands. It resides within all of us. We only have to acknowledge this truth and abide our lives by it from now on. No more hatred, no thoughts of revenge. Only love, tolerance and forgiveness will do." Her face became suddenly serious under the weight of her responsibility towards those who had been silenced forever and couldn't share in today's celebration. "But justice cannot be forgotten. Countless millions of beings have died, and they're looking at us now, judging us all in silence. Our debt to them and their sacrifices is immeasurable and everlasting. We will honour their memories forever." She raised her voice. "All those who condoned and supported Palpatine's vision of control through subjugation and terror are already under arrest and they will be judged and convicted." Her tone of voice was firm, inflexible, and there was no doubt justice would be made. She indicated those behind her then, including herself. "What remains here is a group of peace-seeking beings who only strive to live and let live. Nothing more, nothing less. But we can't do it alone. We need you to help us. Only you can make it possible." Her voice deepened as she delivered her last words. "Let's bring out the best in us. Let's learn to forgive and move on, together. Let's help one another to make of this galaxy a place worth living in." She reached out with both hands. "Everything depends on you. It's now or never!" she cried out.  
  
After a long moment of deafening silence in which her words echoed time and again, seemingly all over the city, a thundering ovation answered Mon Mothma's words. All of Coruscant came alive and vibrant in an explosion of jubilation and commitment to their destiny. They were ready to embrace their future and never let it slip through their fingers again.  
  
Mon Mothma's chin trembled and she bit her lower lip at the sight before her misted eyes. Yes, it was actually possible! Peaceful coexistance was an attainable reality. They were more than ready to face their new life, but never forgetting where they came from. She took a deep, shaky breath that burned a path down her lungs. She looked behind her and instinctively reached out once more. Immediately reading her intention, Anakin held her right hand and Areen Worzzlek grasped her left hand. Anakin held out his had to Luke, who clasped it in his own. Areen Worzzlek grasped Captain Ylek's hand, from the former Imperial fleet, Ylek took Princess Leia's hand, Leia took Commander Thazzel's ... and the living chain went on adding more and more links to it, until, at Mon Mothma's eager nod, all of them stepped forward beside their President. Then, as one, they raised their clasped hands in an exultant demonstration of hope, commitment and unbreakable trust.  
  
The triumphant explosion of joy reached epic proportions.  
  
Fireworks, confetties and balloons of coloured lights filled Coruscant's sky, in a promise of a future as bright and shining as the billions of souls everywhere in the galaxy who had just embraced their destiny with open arms.  
  
The war was over. Long life peace. 


End file.
